STONES 


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UCSB   LIBRARY 

YSS3SO 


THE 


EATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS : 


GlEaning3  Ifoiti  old  Family  IiEttEF^ 
aijd  fflanu^cFipt^. 


BY 


MARGARET     I  RWIN 


PRINTED    AT    THE    ORPHANS'    PRINTING    PRESS, 

BROAD    STREET. 


eo  my  |Hot[)tr, 
Joljn  gair^  6rantitiattgl)ter, 
t\}x^  little  cI)ronule 
x$  in^crtbeti. 


PKEFACE 


TN  publishing  this  record  of  the  lives  of  some  of  my 
-^  ancestors,  I  confess  that  my  main  object  has  been 
to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  their  self-sacrificing  devo- 
tion in  the  hearts  of  their  many  descendants.  For  I 
cannot  but  think  that  the  remembrance  of  the  worth 
and  work  of  those  who  have  preceded  us  must  stimulate 
us  to  live  more  worthily,  that  we  may  in  no  way  bring 
dishonour  upon  their  name. 

I  venture  to  hope,  however,  that  the  letters  from 
Stephen  Grellet  and  others,  whose  names  are  held  in 
high  honour  throughout  our  Church,  may  secure  for  the 
narrative  a  wider  circulation  than  would  be  possible 
amongst  members  of  the  Hall  family  alone. 

All  the  letters  and  other  manuscripts  which  I  have 
availed  myself  of,  now  appear  in  print  for  the  first  time. 
For  the  loan  of  the  originals,  I  am  indebted  to  the 
kindness  of  C.  Stansfield  "Wilson,  John  Hall  Shield,  and 
especially  John  Hall  of  Carlisle. 

These    letters   were,    of    course,    written    without   any 


VI.  PREFACE. 

thought  of  publication,  and  the  composition  has  never 
been  in  any  way  trimmed  or  revised.  I  have  adhered 
as  closely  as  possible  to  the  original,  preferring  to  sacri- 
fice grammatical  and  well-rounded  forms  of  expression, 
rather  than  run  any  risk  of  losing  the  individuality  of 
the  writers.  One  valuable  feature  of  the  letters  is,  that 
the  writers  have  not  confined  themselves  to  a  history  of 
their  religious  experiences ;  we  get  glimpses  also  of  their 
social  and  business  relations,  and  therefore  a  more  com- 
plete picture  of  their  life  as  a  whole. 

I\Iost  of  the  information  contained  in  the  chapter  en- 
titled "America  Ninety  Years  Ago,"  has  been  obtained 
from  a  curious  old  book  published  in  1811,  and  entitled 
"  Travels  in  some  parts  of  America  in  the  years  1804, 
180;"),  1806."  It  is  written  by  a  Friend,  a  certain  Robert 
Sutcliff,  of  Sheffield. 

Short  and  unpretending  as  this  little  chronicle  is,  I 
am  conscious  of  its  many  imperfections,  and  should  have 
been  glad  if  the  manipulation,  of  the  materials  for  its- 
production  had  fallen  to  more  skilful  hands.  It  has, 
however,  been  a  labour  of  love,  and  as  such  I  submit  it 
to  the  indulgent  criticism  of  my  readers. 

The  Grange,  Higher  Crumpsall, 
February  19th,  1890. 


THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS 

(gUanings  from  olb  J^amils  ^ztitts  nnh  ^Anuscxifis. 


CHAPTER  L 
The  Featherstones  of  Featherstone. 

"  Then  to  side  with  truth  is  noble  when  we  share  her  wretched  crust. 
Ere  her  cause  bring  fame  and  profit,  and  'tis  prosperous  to  be  just ; 
Then  it  is  the  brave  man  chooses,  while  the  coward  stands  aside. 
Doubting  in  liis  abject  spirit,  till  his  Lord  is  crucified. 
And  the  multitude  make  virtue  of  the  faith  they  had  denied. 

"Coimt  me  o'er  earth's  chosen  heroes,— they  were  souls  that  stood 

alone, 
While  the  men  they  agonised  for  hurled  the  contumelious  stone  ; 
Stood  serene,  and  do\ra  the  future  saw  the  golden  beam  inchne 
To  the  side  of  perfect  justice,  mastered  by  their  faith  divine. 
By  one  man's  plain  truth  to  manhood,  and  to  God's  supreme  design." 

The  Present  Crisis.    J.  R.  Lowell. 

TEN  years'  imprisonment  in  Morpeth  gaol !  A  dreary 
prospect  to  look  forward  to,  and  yet  Cuthbert  Feather- 
stone,  the  prisoner  for  conscience'  sake,  conld,  for  the  second 
time  in  his  life,  tear  himself  away  from  wife  and  children 
and  face  the  fate  that  awaited  him  with  a  brave  heart. 

How  narrow  and  dark  would  the  dungeon  seem  to  one 
whose  life  had  been  spent  on  the  wild  Northumberland 


2  THE   FEATHERSTONES   AND   HALLS. 

moors.  For  Ciithbert  Featlierstone  was  a  native  of  Allen- 
dale, in  the  north  country,  a  land  of  hills  and  valleys, 
taking-  its  name  from  the  two  rivers,  the  East  and  West 
Allen  which  traverse  that  district,  on  their  way  to  the  more 
important,  but  not  more  beautiful,  Tyne. 

The  hill  country  which  these  rivers  intersect  is  full  of 
natural  beauties,  and  the  interest  thus  excited  is  greatly 
enhanced  by  the  historical  associations  which  cluster  around 
the  ruined  castles  and  various  other  remains  of  still  earlier 
periods.  Here  is  the  site  of  a  Celtic  or  Iberian  camp,  where 
chips  of  flint  are  still  to  be  found  in  abundance,  and  well- 
formed  arrowheads  besides,  by  those  who  will  not  too  soon 
weary  of  the  search.  Away  to  the  north,  along  the  outline 
of  the  hills,  the  Roman  Wall  of  Severus  still  stands  to 
guard  from  northern  foes;  no  ''jerry  building"  there,  but 
honest  work  meant  to  endure.  On  the  slope  of  tlie  hill, 
just  within  the  wall,  the  boundary  lines  and  other  remains 
of  a  Roman  Camp  are  also  clearly  indicated. 

Xearer  at  hand  stands  all  that  is  left  of  the  Castle  of 
Staward-le-Peel,  on  a  spot  the  most  romantic  ever  chosen 
for  a  stronghold  ;  this,  and  other  castles  still  well  preserved, 
remind  us  of  the  struggles  of  later  times. 

In  all  the  conflicts  which  were  constantly  engaging  the  dif- 
ferent clans  of  Northumberland,  both  among  themselves  and 
with  their  implacable  foes  from  beyond  the  Scottish  border, 
the  Featherstones  were  always  ready  to  take  a  part.  The 
old  chronicles  tell  us  that  they  held  the  Manor  of  Feather- 
stonhaugh   in   the   parish  of  Haltwhistle  in  the  reign  of 


THE  FEATHERSTONES  OF  FEATHERSTONE.        6 

Henry  III.,  and  continued  to  hold  it  in  unbroken  succession 
for  twelve  generations,  down  to  the  end  of  the  seventeenth 
century.  And  tlien,  as  regards  one  branch  at  least  of  the 
Featherstone  family,  that  to  which  the  prisoner  Cuthbert 
belonged,  the  record  of  strife  and  conflict  gives  place  to 
quite  another  story  of  actions  none  the  less  heroic. 

For  in  a  distant  county  one  Seeker  after  Truth  had 
come  to  see  how  little  the  religious  teachers  of  existing 
churches  had  to  offer  that  would  satisfy  the  hungering  soul. 
Thrown  back  upon  his  Bible,  and  the  teaching  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  his  own  heart,  he  learnt,  as  by  a  revelation  from 
God  Himself,  that  no  outward  profession  of  religion  will 
suffice  to  bring  peace  to  the  sin-burdened  soul,  that  man's 
heart  is  designed  to  be  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
that  every  act  of  life  should  be  an  act  of  worship  prompted 
and  directed  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  His  mission  was  to 
proclaim  these  truths  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  land,  and  to  seek  to  bring  out  the  priest-trammelled 
people  into  the  perfect  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God. 

Faithfully  George  Fox  performed  his  life's  work,  in  spite 
of  all  the  discouragements  thrown  across  his  path,  and  all 
the  persecution  to  which  he  was  subjected;  so  that  in  many 
a  crowded  city  and  quiet  village  home  his  name  became  a 
household  word,  and  many  a  weary  heart  found  peace  in 
listening  to  his  teaching.  Everywhere  he  went,  as  he 
journeyed  from  place  to  place,  some  were  found  will- 
ing to  accept  the  simple  faith  he  taught ;  and  so  it 
came  about  that,  at  a  very  early  period   indeed   in  the 


4  THE   FEATHERSTONES  AND   HALLS. 

history  of  Quakerism,  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends 
were  to  be  found  in  remote  Allendale.  First  and  fore- 
most among  these  were  various  members  of  the  Feather- 
stone  family. 

The  earliest  record  preserved  tells  of  the  first  persecution 
to  which  these  adherents  of  the  new  faith  were  subjected. 
In  the  year  1660  Cuthbert  Featherstone  and  twenty-three 
others  were  taken  prisoners  at  a  meeting  at  New  Shield, 
and  carried  off  to  Hexham  where  they  were  put  into  a 
"stinking  dungeon."  The  gaoler  walled  up  the  window, 
and  would  scarcely  allow  anything  to  be  brought  to  them. 
Some,  if  not  all  the  little  company,  were  transferred  to 
Morpeth  gaol.  They  were  all,  however,  freed  at  the 
Assizes  by  the  King's  proclamation,  issued  on  the  acces- 
sion of  Charles  II.  By  this  proclamation  seven  hundred 
Friends  in  different  parts  of  the  country  were  released 
from  prison. 

But  Cuthbert  Featherstone's  troubles  did  not  end  here. 
In  1663,  he  was  taken  by  a  writ  for  refusing  to  pay  tithes, 
and  again  found  himself  a  prisoner  in  Morpeth  gaol,  from 
which  he  was  not  released  until  1673.  Ten  years'  im- 
prisonment in  such  a  loathsome  dungeon  would  have 
quenched  the  zeal  of  most  men  ;  not  so  Cuthbert  Feather- 
stone,  who  inherited  not  only  the  name,  but  also  the 
indomitable  spirit  of  ancestors  who  knew  not  when  they 
were  beaten  ;  and  so  we  find  him  giving  his  '''  Testimony 
concerning  T3^th." 

"  When  I  was  convinced  with  God's  Truth,"  he  writes. 


THE  FEATHERSTONES  OF  FEATHERSTONE.        O 

''  I  took  a  consideration  about  paying  of  tythes,  and  in  the 
Light,  I  saw  it  to  be  the  great  uphold  of  that  false  Anti- 
Christian  Ministry  which  keeps  many  from  the  teaching  of 
God's  Spirit,  and  I  saw  there  was  gTeat  need  to  bear  a  faith- 
ful testimony  against  it.  And  the  t;yi:hers  demanding  of  me 
calf,  wool,  and  lamb,  I  could  not  pay  them  any,  but  bare 
my  testimony  against  it  and  all  reckonings,  and  whatever 
I  saw  was  demanded  in  that  kind  :  whereupon  they  came 
and  broak  into  my  field  and  took  away  the  best  lamb  of 
nine,  and  after,  for  bearing  my  testimony  against  it,  I  was 
put  in  prison,  j'et  I  ever  to  this  day  have  borne  a  faithful 
testimony  against  it.  Wherefore  in  the  year  1676  and  in 
the  year  1677  they  have  in  a  plundering  manner  taken  fower 
lambs  more.  This  I  give  under  my  hand  the  28th  day  of 
the  10th  month,  1677. — Cuthbert  Featherstone." 

Once  again,  nearly  twenty  years  later,  we  catch  a  passing 
glimpse  of  this  venerable  Apostle  of  Quakerism,  when 
Thomas  Story  visited  West  Allendale  in  1696.  In  his 
Journal  he  tells  how  amongst  the  little  company  gathered 
together  to  meet  him,  was  ''our  ancient  and  honourable 
Friend  Cuthbert  Featherstone ; "  then  he  describes  how, 
as  they  sat  conversing  together,  their  minds  were  drawn 
under  the  canopy  of  Divine  silence,  and  he  watched  the 
tears  trickle  down  the  furrowed  cheeks  and  long  white  beard 
of  his  ancient  Friend.  And  Thomas  Story  adds  :  ''I  was 
greatly  affected  with  love  towards  him  from  the  same  cause, 
and  had  this  hope  and  confidence  that,  as  I  then  observed 
the  Lord  was  as  near  His  children   in  old  age  (who  had 


6  THE    FEATHERSTONES   AND    HALLS. 

served  him  faithfully  from  the  time  of  their  visitation)  as 
when  He  first  revealed  Himself  through  His  Son  Jesus 
Christ  in  their  own  hearts — so  He  would  be  with  me  also  in 
advanced  years  if  I  proved  faithful  and  true  to  the  Lord, 
and  attained  that  degree.  This  encouragement  in  the 
beginning  of  our  journey,  by  that  tender  season  in  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,  is  not  to  be  forgotten,  but  had  in 
lasting  remembrance  to  the  praise  of  the  Lord  our  God." 


CHAPTER  II. 
Alice  Hall. 

And  she  that  was  so  fair,  I  saw  her  lie, 

The  smallest  thing  in  God's  great  firmament, 
Till  night  was  at  the  darkest,  and  on  high 

Her  sisters  glittered,  though  her  light  was  spent ; 
I  strained  to  follow  her,  each  aching  eye, 

So  swiftly  at  her  Maker's  will  she  went ; 
I  looked  again — I  looked— the  star  was  gone, 

And  nothing  marked  in  heaven  the  place  where  she  had  shone. 

"  Gone  1 "  said  the  poet — "  and  about  to  be 

Forgotten  :  oh,  how  sad  a  fate  is  hers  ! " 
"  How  is  it  sad,  my  son  ? "  all  reverently 

The  old  man  answered ;  "  though  she  ministers 
No  longer  with  her  lamp  to  me  and  thee 

She  has  fulfilled  her  mission.    God  transfers 
Or  dims  her  ray  ;  yet  was  she  blest  as  bright, 

For  all  her  life  was  spent  in  giving  light." 

The  Star's  Monume7it.    Jean  Ingelow. 

OF  the  life  of  John,  son  of  Cuthbert  Featherstone,  few 
details  have  been  preserved.  His  early  training  and 
preparation  for  the  battle  of  life  must  have  fallen  largely 
to  his  mother,  for  he  was  only  two  years  old  when  in  1663 
Cuthbert  Featherstone  was  torn  away  from  home  and 
family,  never  to  return  for  ten  long  years.  "We  know  that 
in  1701  he  married  Isabel  Summers.  The  old  records 
describe  him  and  his  wife  as  ''  religious  Friends,  who  care- 
fully educated  their  children  in  the  principles  of  truth  ;  " 


8  THE    FEATHERSTONES   AND    HALLS. 

and  of  this  we  have  ample  evidence  in  the  after-history 
of  their  daughter  Alice,  who  was  born  at  Blackhouse  in 
Allendale  in  the  year  1708. 

Alice  Featherstone  was  only  twenty-two  years  of  age 
when  she  became  a  minister  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  We 
read  of  no  sudden  conversion,  nor  of  any  definite  period 
when  her  life  was  consecrated  to  the  service  of  her  Lord  ; 
there  was  no  need  for  this,  for  we  are  told  "  she  was  early 
favoured  with  Divine  visitations,  and  being  obedient  thereto 
grew  in  a  religious  experience  to  a  good  degTee  of  stability 
and  settlement  therein  ;  and  having  received  a  gift  of  the 
Gospel  ministry — in  which,  through  an  humble  attention  to 
the  leading  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  she  became  skilful  and 
serviceable  in  the  Church — she  freely  gave  up  to  that  ser- 
vice as  she  found  her  mind  engaged  and  drawn  thereto." 

Before  her  marriage  she  travelled  extensively  as  a  minis- 
ter, visiting  most  parts  of  England,  Wales,  and  Scotland, 
and  twice  venturing  across  the  channel  to  visit  Friends  in 
Ireland.  In  1743  she  was  married  to  Isaac  Hall,  of  Little 
Broughton,  Cumberland. 

New  cares  and  new  surroundings  in  no  degree  diminished 
her  interest  in  "  best  things  "  however,  and  not  only  was  she 
a  diligent  attender  of  her  own  Meeting,  but  even  contrived 
to  pay  frequent  visits  in  the  service  of  the  Church,  without 
neglecting  her  duty  towards  husband  and  children. 

Only  four  years  after  her  marriage  she  found  her  way  to 
Ireland  for  the  third  time  ;  a  letter  from  her  husband  written 
during  her  absence  from  home  on  this  journey,  enables  us 


ALICE   HALL.  9 

to  realize  in  some  measure  the  difficulties  of  locomotion  in 
those  days,  and  his  anxiety  on  her  behalf.  The  reference 
to  the  little  children  left  at  home  reminds  us  of  what  Alice 
Hall  on  her  part  would  have  to  suffer,  in  bracing  herself  up 
for  this  lengthened  absence  from  them.  Isabel,  for  whom 
the  presents  were  intended,  was  a  sister  of  Alice  Hall,  and 
was  probably  taking  charge  of  the  household  whilst  its 
mistress  was  away. 

The  old  spelling,  which  certainly  adds  to  the  interest  of 
the  original  manuscripts,  loses  so  much  of  its  picturesque- 
ness  when  it  appears  in  print,  that  I  have  concluded  in 
this  and  following  letters  to  abandon  it  for  the  more  familiar 
form  of  spelling  now  in  use. 

With  reference  to  the  ripening  of  the  crops,  it  must  be 

remembered  that  the  new  style  of  reckoning  was  not  adopted 

in  England  until  1752  ;  March  was  then  the  first  month  of 

the  year. 

Isaac  Hall  to  Alice  Hall. 

"Broughton,  ye  26th  of  ye  5th  mo.,  1747. 
"  Dear  and  loving  Wife, — These  come  with  my  dear  love 
to  thee,  hoping  they  will  find  thee  well  as  I  am  at  present. 
Thou  may  know  that  after  I  received  thy  acceptable  letter, 
to  answer  thy  request  I  wrote  another  :  and  my  friend  Peter 
Nicholson  is  now  come  over,  and  he  informs  me  that  there 
was  none  come  to  hand  but  those  which  thou  received  at 
Ballinderry,  which  makes  me  think  that  they  are  miscarried, 
— and  he  tells  me  that  he  saw  Richard  Burton  and  his  com- 
panion at  Tymhor  Meeting,  and  they  told  him  that  they 


10  THE   FEATHERSTONES   AND   HALLS. 

came  out  of  the  North  along  with  thee.  They  gave  him  an 
account  that  thou  was  very  well,  and  thy  horse  performed 
very  well  so  far,  which  I  am  very  glad  to  hear,  for  it  is  great 
satisfaction  to  me  to  hear  of  thy  welfare  ;  I  am  very  often 
thoughtful  about  thee. 

''  But  I  believe  the  Lord  will  be  a  strength  and  support 
unto  thee ;  thou  will  meet  with  many  trials  and  exercises 
many  ways — but  thou  will  be  helped  over  them  all,  and  I 
hope  thou  will  have  the  returns  of  peace  in  thy  bosom  at 
last.  My  dear,  it  is  near  ten  weeks  since  thou  left  England. 
Hoping  these  will  meet  thee  near  Dublin,  my  dear,  I  would 
have  thee  to  write  and  let  me  know  when  thou  thinks  to  be 
at  Dublin  and  how  thou  fares.  Thy  son  John  is  grown  a 
gTeat  lad  and  he  is  very  hearty  ;  he  goes  to  the  hayfield  and 
works  till  he  sweats,  he  is  fresh-coloured,  he  is  exceeding 
active,  he  is  very  strong.  Thy  daughter  Sarah  is  hearty 
and  fresh-coloured,  and  she  can  walk  in  John's  hand  unto 
her  grandmothers' ;  she  has  not  got  all  her  teeth  yet. 
Sister  Ann  has  her  health  very  well.  My  mother  is  very 
well  and  helps  us  all  that  she  can.  We  have  had  about  two 
weeks  very  fine  weather,  and  I  have  got  all  my  hay  [in]  ex- 
cept Bradmoor  and  the  little  closes  and  some  little  among 
the  corn,  without  hiring  any  but  Mary  Hudert  two  days 
and  a  half.  I  think  to  get  it  all  this  week,  for  I  have  got  it 
so  far  without  rain.  *  *  *  Our  wheat  will  be  pretty  soon 
ripe,  and  I  hope  thou  will  be  at  home  when  the  oats  are 
ripe.     So  from  thy  dear  and  loving  husband,  Isaac  Hall. 

"  P.S.— This  is  the  fifth  letter  that  I  have  sent,  but  I  hope 


ALICE    HALL.  11 

to  see  thee  myself  before  I  need  ^^'ite  any  more.  *  *  * 
Thou  must  get  Isabel  as  much  bonnet  plait  as  will  be  a 
bonnet,  and  we  told  Peter  to  buy  a  Httle  basket  and  thou 
must  pay  him  for  it  :  it  is  for  Isabel :  and  thou  must  tell 
Peter  to  buy  her  a  Dublin  handkerchief,  such  as  he  had  on 
when  he  was  now  over,  and  thou  must  pay  him  for  it." 

The  Irish  journey  was  safely  accompHshed  and  Alice 
Hall  resumed  her  place  in  the  Broughton  household.  As 
years  passed  on,  however,  she  again  believed  herself  called  to 
leave  home,  this  time  for  religious  service  in  America,  and 
undaunted  by  the  difficulties  and  hardships  involved,  she 
set  her  face  to  fulfil  her  mission.  Her  husband,  though  a 
minister,  seems  to  have  had  no  thought  of  accompanying 
her,  he  was  indeed  compelled  to  remain  at  home  to  provide 
for  the  needs  of  the  family,  and  to  extend  as  far  as  possible 
a  mother's  care  over  the  children  left  behind.     He  says  : — 

''  I  found  it  my  duty  to  give  her  up,  though  it  was  a  ver}' 
close  trial  and  exercise  to  me — her  final  parting  with  me 
and  dear  children  was  a  time  I  hope  never  to  be  forgotten, 
having  been  drawn  fervently  to  recommend  us  and  herself 
to  the  protection  of  that  Hand  who  is  for  ever  sufficient." 

Full  of  energy  and  enthusiasm,  and  devotion  to  the  cause 
she  loved,  she  landed  in  America  ''in  y^  10th  mo.,  1761," 
and  diligently  pursued  her  labours,  visiting  most  of  the 
settlements  of  the  United  States,  with  Ann  Xelson  as  her 
companion. 

For  nearly  twelve  months  she  continued  her   laborious 


12  THE    FEATHERSTONES   AND    HALLS. 

task.  In  spite  of  frequent  attacks  of  illness  her  energetic 
spirit  never  failed,  and  though  travelling  in  America- at  that 
time  must  have  been  attended  with  very  great  difficulties 
and  some  danger,  we  find  her  accomplishing  as  much  as  fifty 
miles  in  one  day. 

But  at  last  the  poor  overtaxed  body  asserted  itself ;  she 
found  she  could  hold  out  no  longer,  and  hastened  to  Phila- 
delphia, to  the  house  of  her  kind  friend  Isaac  Zane,  where 
she  arrived  "  on  y^  22nd  of  y^  9th  mo.  following,  and  two 
days  before  the  Yearly  Meeting."  For  fourteen  days  Isaac 
Zane's  wife  and  daughter  nursed  her  with  tender  solicitude, 
but,  though  the  physicians  were  for  a  time  hopeful  that  she 
would  recover,  she  gradually  sank,  "  and  died  about  the  7th 
hour  in  the  evening,  the  6th  of  y^  10th  mo.,  1762.  On  y« 
8th  her  corpse  was  attended  by  a  great  number  of  Friends 
to  the  Meeting  House  in  High  Street,  where  after  a  suitable 
solemn  pause  together  and  several  worthy  testimonies  borne 
to  the  edification  of  the  living,  she  was  accompanied  by 
the  great  assembly  to  the  grave,  and  decently  interred  in 
Friends'  Burying  Ground." 

And  so  she  passed  away,  far  from  home  and  family,  with 
none  but  comparative  strangers  to  smooth  her  dying  pillow, 
yet  in  perfect  peace,  "  easy  either  to  live  or  die,  and  being 
queried  of  if  there  was  anything  in  her  mind  concerning  her 
family,  answered  she  was  easy  on  that  account."  Isaac 
Zane,  in  sending  the  sad  news  of  her  death  to  her  friends  in 
England,  writes  : — 

"It  is  with  sympathizing  and  heavy  hearts  that  I  and  mine 


ALICE    HALL.  13 

have  to  salute  you  with  much  love  and  goodwill,  and  therein 
think  it  the  least  we  can  do  to  give  an  account  of  beloved 
Alice,  whose  deportment  among  us  led  us  to  consider  the 
worth  sucli  a  pattern  was  of  in  your  femily,  and  indeed  the 
light  of  her  pious  course  of  life  must  have  sinned  to  many." 

Another  kind  letter  of  sympathy  has  been  preserved  from 
a  Friend  in  Philadelphia,  probably  John  Pemberton,  but 
the  signature  has  unfortunately  been  torn  away.  The  fol- 
lowing extracts  are  from  this  letter  :— 

"  She  could  not  have  been  in  any  place  where  greater  ten- 
derness and  diligent  attendance  could  have  been  manifested, 
for  she  was  beloved  by  the  family  and  Friends  in  this  city,  and 
I  believe  by  all  who  knew  her.  She  lay  mostly  very  quiet  in 
her  illness  and  said  little,  but  from  a  few  words  she  dropped  to 
me  I  thought  she  had  little  or  no  prospect  of  getting  through 
her  illness.  As  she  was  prepared  to  die,  the  release  is  happy 
to  her.  She  several  times  mentioned  to  me  the  promising 
prospect  there  appeared  in  her  eldest  son  ;  I  wish  he  may, 
with  the  others,  follow  her  pious  example,  and  tread  in  the 
steps  she  walked  in  that  her  crown  may  be  theirs.  'Sly 
dear  love,  and  my  dear  mother  joins  me  herein,  is  to  thee 
and  thine,  and  am  with  much  affection  and  real  sympathy." 

With  brave  strong  heart  and  holy  fearlessness  Alice  Hall 
had  ventured  forth  alone  across  the  broad  Atlantic  ;  but  it 
proved  to  be  a  journey  from  which  there  was  no  returning  : 
her  service  of  love  in  the  Church,  amongst  her  neighbours  in 
the  village  of  Broughton,  and  in  the  home  circle  was  finished : 
exchanged  for  the  higher  service  of  the  saints  in  Light. 


CHAPTER    III. 
The  Home  at  Broughton. 

"Peace  to  the  just  man's  memory,— let  it  grow 

Greener  with  years,  and  blossom  through  the  flight 
Of  ages  ;  let  the  mimic  canvas  show 

His  calm,  Ijenevolent  features  ;  let  the  light 
Stream  on  his  deeds  of  love,  that  shunned  the  sight 

Of  all  l3ut  heaven,  and  in  the  book  of  fame. 
The  glorious  record  of  his  virtues  write. 

And  hold  it  up  to  men,  and  bid  them  claim 
A  palm  like  his,  and  catch  from  him  the  hallowed  flame." 

W.  C.  Bryant. 

THE  unpretending  little  village  of  Broughton,  whence  the 
brightness  of  Alice  Hall's  gentle  presence  and  wise 
counsel  was  so  suddenly  withdrawn,  overlooks  the  river 
Derwent,  about  four  miles  westward  from  the  market  town 
of  Cockermouth. 

Quite  out  of  the  track  of  tourists  in  the  Lake  District,  it 
yet  comes  in  for  a  share  of  tlie  beauties  which  have  made 
the  Lake  District  famous — the  surrounding  country  is  un- 
dulating and  varied,  and  distant  views  of  the  Cumberland 
mountains  close  in  the  landscape. 

During  the  long  period  of  dissension  and  war  between 
king  and  people  which  characterized  the  middle  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  tlie  little  town  of  Cockermouth  was  roused 
from  its  (piiet  peaceful  life  by  the  news  that  Cromwell  and 
his  army  had  encamped  at  Broughton,  four  miles  awa)% 


THE    HOME    AT    BROUGHTO^^  15 

and  had  set  themselves  to  destroy  the  castle  which  guarded 
the  old  town. 

The  noble  pile — built  in  William  the  Xorman's  reign, 
and  remaining  in  all  Tts  ancient  pride  a  relic  of  Xorman 
power  in  the  north — was  not  easily  subdued,  but  those  who 
defended  it  had  little  chance  against  the  besieging  forces, 
and  eventually  the  fine  old  castle  was  overcome  and  became 
a  heap  of  ruins. 

How  Cromwell  and  his  Ironsides  fared  after  they  had  ac- 
complished this  work  of  destruction  does  not  concern  us 
here,  but  there  was  one  soldier  in  their  ranks  who  claims 
from  us  more  than  a  passing  interest. 

Of  Richard  Hall's  earlier  history  we  know  little,  except 
that  he  had  at  one  time  been  a  trooper  in  the  King's 
Guards  ;  this  we  learn  from  an  inscription  on  the  fly-leaf  of 
his  Bible,  which  survived  the  chances  and  changes  of  Revo- 
lutionary War  and  is  now  the  treasured  possession  of  one  of 
his  descendants. 

Probably  a  change  in  his  religious  opinions  accounts  for 
the  Royalist  becoming  Roundhead,  but  a  still  further  de- 
velopment both  religious  and  political  was  the  direct  result 
of  Richard  Hall's  presence  in  the  army  which  besieged 
Cockermouth  Castle. 

Very  early  indeed  in  the  history  of  Quakerism,  there 
were  some  in  Cockermouth  and  the  surrounding  villages 
who  joined  its  ranks,  and  held  meetings  regularly  either  in 
their  own  houses  or  in  the  open  air. 

In  some  way  or  other  Richard  Hall  came  under  the  in- 


16  THE   FEATHERSTONES   AND    HALLS. 

Hiieiice  of  these  Friends,  their  view  of  tlie  Truth  commended 
itself  to  him,  and  he  straightway  withdrew  from  the  Parlia- 
mentary Army,  settled  at  Broughton,  and  became  a  member 
of  the  New  Society. 

He  testified  his  zeal  for  the  cause  which  he  had  espoused 
by  presenting  Friends  there  with  land  on  which  to  build  a 
Meeting  House  ;  the  original  deeds  are  in  existence  and  the 
Meeting  House  is  still  in  use,  though  many  alterations  and 
additions  have  been  made  during  the  centuries  that  have 
passed  since  it  was  built. 

Richard  Hall's  death  in  167.3  was  followed  nineteen  years 
later  by  that  of  his  wife  Jane  Hall.  All  that  we  know  of 
her  is  contained  in  a  paragraph  in  Thomas  Story's  Journal. 
After  describing  a  visit  to  Broughton  Meeting  in  1691 — • 
the  first  Friends'  Meeting  he  had  ever  attended — he  says  : — 
"  The  meeting  being  ended,  the  Peace  of  God  which  passeth 
all  the  understanding  of  natural  men  and  is  inexpressible 
by  any  language  but  itself  alone,  remained  as  a  holy  canopy 
over  my  mind,  in  a  silence  out  of  the  reach  of  all  words, 
and  where  no  idea  but  the  Word  Himself  can  be  conceived. 
But  being  invited,  together  with  the  ministering  Friend  to 
the  house  of  the  ancient  Widow  Hall,  I  went  willingly  with 
them  ;  but  the  sweet  silence  connnanded  in  me  by  Michael 
the  Prince,  Captain  General  of  the  Hosts  of  Heaven  still  re- 
maining, I  had  nothing  to  say  to  any  of  them  till  he  was 
pleased  to  draw  the  curtain,  and  veil  his  presence  ;  and  then 
I  found  my  mind  pure  and  in  a  well  bounded  liberty  of 
innocent  conversation  with  them." 


THE    HOME    AT    BROUGHTOX.  17 

One  of  Richard  Hall's  daughters — Jane — married  a  cer- 
tain Peter  Fearon,  of  Great  Broughton.  A  strange  story 
is  told  of  an  adventure  which  she  met  with  in  compan)^ 
with  another  Cumberland  minister,  James  Dickinson.  They 
had  been  on  a  religious  visit  into  Scotland,  and  were  re- 
turning home  together  on  horseback,  when  they  were 
benighted,  and  had  to  take  lodgings  at  a  small  wayside 
inn.  But  the  behaviour  of  the  innkeeper  and  his  wife 
aroused  their  suspicions,  and  they  dare  not  retire  to  rest. 
Other  circumstances  occurred,  which  increased  their  fears 
that  if  they  remained  there,  they  were  in  danger  of  being 
robbed  and  perhaps  murdered.  To  spend  the  night  in  the 
open  air  would  be  better  than  this,  so  they  contrived  to 
get  their  horses  out  of  the  stable  unobserved,  and  made 
their  escape.  Tradition  has  handed  down  this  story  em- 
bellished with  various  thrilling  details,  but  it  is  impossible 
to  say  at  this  distance  of  time  how  much  is  true,  and  how 
much  has  been  added  for  the  sake  of  effect.  There  is  little 
doubt  that  some  such  incident  did  occur,  and  that  the 
travellers  really  believed  their  lives  were  in  danger. 

Thomas,  the  third  son  of  Richard  and  Jane  Hall,  was 
born  in  1647,  and  died  in  1692,  leaving  three  children. 
The  eldest  of  these — John,  born  in  1687 — was  the  father 
of  Isaac  Hall,  whose  brave  wife,  Alice,  sacrificed  her  life  to 
her  sense  of  religious  duty. 

Three  children  were  left  motherless  by  her  death — • 
John,  Sarah,  and  Hannah.  Sarah  Hall  became  the  wife 
of  John   Stead,   an   engineer   employed   at  the   collieries 


18  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

at  Workington  ;  they  afterwards  removed  to  Birmingham. 
Hannah,  the  youngest  of  the  tliree,  married  Jonathan 
Sergeant,  of  Little  Broughton  ;  and  John  Hall  (of  whom 
his  father  wrote  when  he  was  only  three  years  old,  "  He 
goes  to  the  hayfield  and  works  till  he  sweats  ")  inherited 
the  little  estate  at  Broughton. 

But  he  inherited,  in  addition  to  this,  the  energy  with 
which  his  ancestors  a  century  earlier  had  applied  them- 
selves to  the  political  struggles  and  internecine  wars  of 
their  time,  and  a  very  real  appreciation  of  the  religious 
faith  for  which  his  forefathers  had  suffered.  The  blood  of 
the  Featherstones  and  Halls  combined  to  lay  the  founda- 
tion of  a  character,  which,  under  the  moulding  hand  of 
Divine  gTace,  must  have  grown  up  to  be  one  of  singular 
beauty  and  strength.  Clothed  with  humility,  this  very 
qualification  enabled  him  to  take  his  place  unostentatiously 
as  a  leader  in  the  little  congregation  of  Friends  in  Brough- 
ton, and  incidental  references  in  his  wife's  letters,  written 
during  his  absence  from  home,  show  how  greatly  his  ser- 
vices as  a  minister  were  valued  by  his  own  people. 

He  was  married  in  1769  to  Hannah  Wigham,  of  Coan- 
Avood,  Xorthumberland  ;  a  clever  managing  wife  she  was, 
and  well  for  him  that  it  was  so,  for  a  fiimily  of  ten  children 
(besides  two  who  died  young)  taxed  to  the  utmost  the 
resources  of  the  farm,  even  when  augmented  by  wliat  could 
be  derived  from  weaving  and  bacon-curing. 

John  Hall  was  about  twenty-eight  years  of  age  when 
he  first  appeared  as  a  minister,  but  for  several  years  he 


THE    HOME    AT    BROUGHTON.  19 

travelled  little  in  the  service  of  the  Church,  with  the  ex- 
oeption  of  occasional  tours  through  parts  of  Scotland.  In 
1786,  on  one  such  journey,  he  had  the  satisfaction  of 
travelling  with  John  Pemberton,  of  Philadelphia,  all  the 
way  from  Edinborough  to  Old  Meldrum,  holding  meetings 
as  they  passed  along.  After  an  absence  of  near  six  weeks, 
he  returned  home  from  "that  land  of  bondage,"  only  to 
become  a  prisoner  himself  (in  another  sense),  held  captive 
by  a  sharp  attack  of  gout. 

The  autumn  of  the  same  year  was  a  time  of  much  sick- 
ness in  the  family :  various  members  were  attacked  by 
measles  and  fever,  and  one  boy,  "my  much  beloved  son 
William,"  died  after  an  illness  of  three  weeks. 

The  following  letters,  written  by  John  Hall  to  his  sister 
in  Birmingham  in  1791  and  1795,  give  us  glimpses  into  the 
family  and  social  life  at  that  period.  In  the  first  letter,  he 
is  evidently  making  an-angements  to  travel  up  to  London 
to  the  Yearly  Meeting  ;  a  gTeat  undertaking  in  those  days. 

"Broughton,  4th  mo.  21st,  1791. 
"  Dear  Sister, — Am  just  going  to  Cockermouth  this  after- 
noon ;  have  but  time  to  tell  thee  that  I  have  received  thy 
letter,  and  for  intelligence  respecting  coach  from  Kendal 
intend  to  write  I.  Crewdson,  as  John  Robinson  and  myself 
have  concluded  to  go  by  coach,  and  the  other  Friends  by  a 
chaise  and  on  horseback.  I  could  like  to  be  at  Birmingham 
on  a  First-day  if  it  do  not  take  up  too  much  time,  and 
John  Robinson  be  willing  to  take  my  time  ;  we  are  to  meet 


20  THE  FEATHERSTOXES  AND  HALLS. 


again  to  fix  our  time  in  setting  out.  Daughters  returned 
from  Kendal  last  Sixth-day  evening,  where  Alice  met  with 
AUie's  kind  letter  and  present,  etc.  Alice  offers  her  inten- 
tions of  marriage  next  Third-day,  and  if  thou  can  venture 
Ally  to  come  with  me  [so]  as  to  be  a  bridesmaid  on  the 
wedding  day,  it  will  be  pleasing  to  us  all. 

''  Thy  beef  and  bacon  I  expect  will  be  at  Birmingham 
this  week,  and  I  shall  forward  E.  Dearman  her  hams  and  a 
flitch  of  bacon  as  soon  as  opportunity  serves.  *  *  *  I 
note  what  thou  says  about  John  Sargeant  being  bound  an 
apprentice  under  thy  husband's  care,  and  thou  or  he  to 
receive  his  wages  towards  board,  clothes,  etc.,  all  which  I 
am  very  wilHng  to,  but  I  decline  to  be  under  any  tie  my- 
self in  making  up  any  deficiency  on  his  behalf ;  and  have 
wrote  John  Hipsley  to  send  John  Sargeant  to  Brim  (Bir- 
mingham) when  his  year  is  up  at  Ackworth. 

''  My  wife  returned  home  some  time  since,  and  left  her 
dear  mother  very  weak,  though  rather  better,  and  have  not 
since  heard  anything  further  from  her ;  am  expecting  a 
letter  every  day.  I  understand  the  meeting  at  Kendal  was 
in  some  degree  satisfactory  ;  time  will  not  permit  me  to 
enlarge  at  present.  Conclude  in  dear  love,  in  which  my 
wife  and  children  join.     Thy  loving  brother,  John  Hall." 

"Broughton,  7th  mo.  2nd,  1795. 

"  Dear  Sister, — I  was  pleased  to  hear  by  thy  last  letter 
of  your  welfare,  and  that  Hannah  was  getting  better.  This 
may  inform   thee   that   through   mercy  my  health  seems 


THE    HOME   AT    BROUGHTON.  21 

pretty  much  restored.  My  wife,  and  rest,  keep  pretty  well, 
save  Isaac  is  now  mnch  tried  with  the  rheumatism,  and 
Hannah  gone  to  Gilsland  Wells  to  try  the  waters.  She 
went  last  week  from  Hesket.  I  have  not  heard  what  effect 
the  waters  may  have  ;  doctor  seemed  to  recommend  them. 

"  I  may  now  inform  thee  that  I  am  setting  out  to-morrow 
on  a  very  trying  journey  into  the  west  parts  of  Scotland, 
and  perhaps  some  of  the  Isles,  I  suppose  towards  Arran, 
first  in  company  of  our  friend  Samuel  Blundell,  from 
Cornwall,  who  arrived  here  on  Third-day  evening.  *  *  * 
It  seems  an  arduous  task  to  me.  Our  Elders  have  been 
consulted,  and  give  me  full  liberty  to  go,  by  minute  signed 
by  a  number  of  them,  and  a  certificate  to  be  sent  after  me 
from  our  next  Monthly  Meeting.  How  long  I  may  be 
from  home  I  cannot  say.  *  *  *  John  Ross,  of  Greysouthen, 
has  given  up  to  go  along  with  us.  We  expect  to  be  at  Dum- 
fries on  First-day.  I  should  be  glad  to  hear  from  thee,  but 
cannot  give  thee  any  information  how  to  direct  to  me.  I 
have  only  just  time  to  scribble  these  few  lines  to  thee  to 
give  thee  this  information.  Must  conclude,  in  dear  love 
to  self,  husband,  and  children,  in  which  my  wife  joins  me. 
Thy  affectionate  brother,  John  Hall." 

In  1799,  John  Hall  believed  himself  called  to  visit  Friends 
in  America,  which  would  involve  an  absence  of  two  years 
from  home.  Xotwithstanding  the  long  anxious  ocean  voyage 
and  the  difficulties  of  overland  travelling,  there  seems  to 
have  been  a  constant  stream  of  ministers  passing  between 


22  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

tke  continent  of  America  and  the  British  Isles  at  that 
time.  But  to  one  in  his  position,  such  an  undertaking  was  a 
very  serious  matter  ;  to  tear  himself  away  from  his  family, 
and  from  the  quiet  home  life,  must  have  been  a  difficult 
task,  hut  liis  simple  faith  and  willing  obedience  were  equal 
to  the  strain,  and  he  went  forth.  Kind  letters  of  encour- 
agement from  valued  friends,  cheered  him  in  the  prospect. 

Thomas  Scattergood  to  John  Hall. 

"  Dear  John  Hall, — Thy  salutation  of  love  sent  in  a 
letter  to  E.  Coggeshall  was  pleasant  to  my  taste,  and  the 
little  prospect  thou  seemed  to  have  of  a  field  yet  opening 
before  me  in  this  land  I  hope  to  stand  resigned  to,  if  so  it 
is  to  be  ordered  by  an  all-wise  Providence.  At  present  I 
seem  like  one  going  again  as  into  the  prison-house,  and  yet 
thankful  I  am  that  my  state  of  late  has  resembled  that  of 
a  debtor  being  released  from  close  confinement  and  suffered 
to  walk  the  prison-yard.  Pray  for  me,  my  dear  friend,  that 
my  faith  and  patience  fail  not,  and  if  through  Divine  mercy 
this  is  granted,  there  is  a  secret  hope  revives  [that]  I  may 
be  yet  sweetly  comforted  in  thy  company  and  concern  in 
my  native  land.  The  Lord  grant,  if  His  will,  it  may  be  in 
my  long-absented  habitation. 

''  The  same  prayer  that  so  spontaneously  arose  in  my 
heart  for  dear  Sarah  whilst  writing  her,  does  towards  thee 
for  your  safe  conduction  over  the  great  deep,  and  may  thy 
labours  be  sanctified  and  crowned  with  sweet  enriching 
peace.   ^ly  love  very  affectionately  to  thy  wife,  and  through 


THE    HOME    AT    BROUGHTON.  23 

her  to  thy  dear  children,  though  unknown.  And  when 
thou  art  favoured  to  be  in  Philadelphia  visit  my  family  and 
encourage  them  what  thou  canst,  with  my  dear  love  ;  also 
to  dear  R.  Jones,  my  sympathizing  elder  sister.  Farewell, 
dear  friend  :  I  trust  sweet  balance  to  thy  exercised  mind 
will  be  thy  portion.  It  is  the  desire,  it  is  the  prayer 
of  thy   affectionate   sympathizing   friend  and  brother,  T. 

SCATTERGOOD." 

Deborah  Darby  to  John  Hall. 

"C.  Dale,*  3rd  mo.  6th,  1799. 
"  My  dear  Friend,— It  is  grateful  to  my  dear  companion 
and  self  to  hear,  through  the  medium  of  thy  pen,  of  your 
welfare  in  which  we  have  a  near  interest ;  and  it  is  no  sur- 
prise to  us  to  find  which  way  thy  prospects  are  opened, 
having  a  secret  sense  of  this  being  the  case  when  in  thy 
company  ;  and  our  spirits  unite  in  most  sincerely  wishing 
thee  God-speed,  not  doubting  but  that  He  tliat  putteth 
forth  will  go  before  thee,  cover  thy  head  in  the  day  of 
battle,  and  enable  thee  to  set  up  thy  Ebenezer,  and  say 
from  one  time  to  another,  '  Hitherto  hath  the  Lord  helped 
me.'  So  that  though  thou  may  go  forth  weeping  bearing 
precious  seed,  there  will  be  a  returning  rejoicing,  with 
sheaves  of  peace  in  thy  bosom.  So,  dear  John,  lift  up  thy 
head  in  hope,  thank  God  and  take  courage,  remembering 
that  tlie  work  is  not  thine,  and  that  He  that  has  called  thee 
unto  it  is  abundantl)"  able  to  qualify  for  all  that  He  re- 
"  Coalbrook  Dale. 


24  THE   FEATHERSTONES   AND    HALLS. 

quires.  *  *  -  I  feel  nearly  with  thee  in  the  prospect  of 
separation  from  so  affectionate  and  worthy  a  companion, 
and  dutiful  children  ;  but  are  not  all  these  binding  ties  to 
faithfulness?  Doth  it  not  lead  to  the  enquiry  of,  'Who 
made  me  to  differ  from  another,  or  what  have  I  that  I  have 
not  received  ? ' 

"  Please  to  tell  thy  dear  wife  that  she  feels  very  near  to 
us,  that  we  have  no  doubt  but  the  eternal  God  wdll  be  her 
refuge,  and  that  underneath  will  be  the  everlasting  arms. 
I  should  be  glad,  if  she  could  see  her  way,  to  meet  her  with 
thee  in  London  if  I  should  get  to  the  Yearly  Meeting, 
which,  for  anything  we  see  at  present,  may  be  the  case  with 
btoth  of  us.  I  trust  I  need  not  tell  you  that  we  retain  a 
^•rateful  sense  of  the  kindness  of  Friends  in  your  parts,  not 
only  in  caring  for  our  comfortable  accommodation  as  to 
the  body,  but  making  way  for  our  relief  of  mind.  We 
should  be  glad  if  our  love  might  be  conveyed  to  our  kind 
helpers  as  thou  may  see  them,  thy  own  family  fully  in- 
cluded, whose  growth  and  establishment  in  the  Truth  we 
.sincerely  desire.  *  *  *  Thou  wilt  most  probably  have 
heard  ere  this  that  William  Cutch  and  David  Dent  have 
proposed  to  Friends  a  prospect  similar  to  thine,  so  that 
thou  will  be  likely  to  have  company.  Sarah  Harrison  is 
also  waiting  to  return  to  her  native  land,  but  at  present  is 
poorly  in  bed  at  the  house  of  Mary  Alexander,  Xeedham, 
Suffolk. 

"  I  have  one  son  with  me  at  present  learning  the  iron 
business,  and  I  expect  the  other  from  London  soon  after  our 


THE    HOME   AT    BROUGHTON.  25 

Yearly  Meeting  ;  so  that  there  is  reason  to  expect  they  will 
both  settle  at  the  Dale,  which  is  pleasant  to  me.  Having 
but  two  of  them,  it  is  natural  for  me  to  wish  their  company 
when  permitted  to  enjoy  a  little  rest.  I  need  not  make  an 
apology  to  such  parents  as  you  for  bringing  my  little  tiock 
into  your  view  and  asking  your  prayers  for  their  preserva- 
tion, as  mine  have  often  been  for  yours.  *  *  *  Your 
affectionate  friend,  D.  Darby." 


CHAPTER   IV. 

America  Ninety  Years  Ago. 

"The  whole  round  earth  is  every  way 
Bound  by  gold  chains  about  the  feet  of  God." 

Tennyson. 

BEFORE  recounting  John  Hall's  experiences  in  the 
United  States,  it  will  be  interesting  to  take  a  rapid 
survey  of  the  country  and  social  life  of  the  people  who 
had  so  recently  shaken  themselves  loose  from  the  mother 
country,  and  secured  their  independence. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  century,  Washington,  the  future 
seat  of  Government  was  not  yet  built :  the  site  of  the  cit)" 
was  chosen  indeed,  but  there  were  no  buildings  except 
public  offices  and  houses  for  the  accommodation  of  clerks 
employed  in  the  various  departments  of  the  State,  together 
with  a  few  inns  and  taverns.  The  Capitol,  beautifully 
situated  on  a  commanding  eminence,  was  still  unfinished, 
and  the  regularly  planned  streets  and  handsome  buildings  of 
the  future  metropolis  of  the  States  existed  only  on  paper. 

Philadelphia,  however,  which  less  than  one  hundred 
years  before  was  a  small  town  with  one  ironmonger's  shop, 
and  whose  shipping  industry  was  limited  to  one  vessel 
sailing  to  and  from  London,  had  increased  so  rapidly  that 
at  the  time  under  consideration  it  contained  one  hundred 
and  six  thousand  inhabitants.     The  streets  all  ran  parallel 


AMERICA   XIXETY    YEARS    AGO.  27 

and  at  right  angles,  as  the}'  had  been  originally  planned 
by  William  Penn,  and  many  were  planted  with  trees,  where 
the  incessant  chirping  of  the  tree-frogs  after  sniiset  en- 
livened the  stillness  of  evening.  There  were  many  evidences 
of  thrift  and  success.  Firm  well-made  waggons,  covered 
^N-ith  stout  canvas  and  drawn  by  four  or  more  fine  horses, 
were  to  be  seen  travelling  up  the  roads  bj^  hundreds  to 
attend  the  Philadelphia  market,  many  coming  a  distance  of 
three  hundred  miles,  bringing  their  farm  produce  to  this 
thriving  centre. 

The  busy  city  of  Xew  York,  too,  could  boast  not  only 
comforts  but  luxuries.  Her  public-spirited  citizens  had 
provided  spacious  baths,  some  of  white  marble,  supplied 
with  hot  and  cold  water,  and  furnished  with  every  con- 
venience. It  was  a  common  practice  in  hot  weather  for 
bathers  to  resort  here,  taking  books  with  them  to  read 
whilst  indulging  in  the  bath. 

The  town  of  Albany  further  north,  with  its  narrow  ir- 
regular streets  and  old  houses,  was  less  unlike  our  older 
English  towns  ;  but  the  glittering  rooting  of  tin  plates 
instead  of  slates  or  tiles,  would  soon  remind  the  traveller 
that  he  was  far  away  from  England. 

The  most  important  inland  town  in  the  United  States 
at  that  time  was  Lancaster  in  South  Carolina.  Here  were 
established  large  works  for  the  manufacture  of  locks, 
latches,  and  rifles,  all  of  which  were  considered  in  America 
to  be  superior  in  quality  to  any  that  could  be  imported 
from  England. 

c 


28  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

There  were  other  thriving  towns  :  Richmond,  with  its 
coal-pits,  the  pleasant  city  of  Burlington  on  the  Delaware, 
the  old  town  of  Newcastle,  and  lastly  Baltimore,  which 
within  sixty  years  had  come  into  existence,  and  gathered 
within  her  environs  thirty  thousand  souls. 

Very  fair  to  look  upon  were  some  of  these  American 
cities,  but  lurking  in  hidden  corners,  ready  to  break  out 
with  devastation  at  every  favourable  opportunity,  the 
dreaded  yellow  fever  seemed  to  defy  every  attempt  to 
stamp  it  out,  and  periodically  coming  forth  from  its  hiding 
place,  caused  all  to  fly  before  it.  Then  the  streets  of  the 
busiest  cities  were  quiet  almost  as  a  city  of  the  dead  ;  the 
markets  stood  idle,  the  hotels  were  empty.  At  such  times 
the  business  of  the  stricken  towns  was  removed  to  some 
outlying  village,  where  temporary  buildings  were  erected  for 
the  accommodation  of  banks,  public  offices,  and  merchants. 

The  well-arranged  and  productive  farms  testified  to  the 
fertility  of  the  country  districts.  Fields  of  Indian  corn, 
with  stalks  rising  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  beautiful  tufted 
heads  waving  in  the  breeze,  and  long  elegant  blades  branch- 
ing from  the  stems,  charmed  the  eye  by  their  luxuriance, 
and  suggested  abundance  and  prosperity.  Occasionally  an 
estate  would  be  planted  with  hedges  of  the  English  or 
American  thorn ;  but  American  farmers  then,  as  now, 
preferred  wooden  fences  t(3  our  more  ornamental  hedges, 
alleging  these  latter  harboured  birds  and  vermin  of  different 
kinds,  which  were  likely  to  injure  the  crops. 

Numerous  turnpike  roads  connected  the  principal  towns, 


AMERICA   ^'INETY   YEARS   AGO.  29 

l^iit  in  the  back  settlements,  where  the  popuLation  was 
thinly  scattered,  if  rivers  were  available  these  were  reiinired 
to  do  duty  instead  of  roads.  The  Ohio  river,  for  instance, 
was  navigated  by  vessels  supplied  with  everything  the 
settlers  upon  its  banks  could  require,  and  fitted  up  with 
<?ounters — veritable  floating  shops  indeed.  At  each  settle- 
ment the  trader  weighed  anchor,  and  the  wives  and  daugh- 
ters of  the  planters  trooped  on  board,  made  their  purchases, 
and  paid  in  kind — gTain,  cotton,  tobacco,  venison,  or  skins. 
The  Indians,  though  far  more  numerous  then  than  now, 
were  fast  decreasing  in  numbers.  Their  settlements  were 
scattered  over  various  parts  of  the  country,  and  their 
homes  not  seldom  testified  to  their  industrious  habits  and 
their  capabilities  as  workmen.  Their  houses  were  made  of 
the  bark  of  trees,  peeled  off  in  very  broad  pieces,  and 
fastened  to  posts  fixed  into  the  ground.  The  result  was 
-a  building  quite  as  comfortable  probably  as  that  which 
satisfies  the  crofter  of  the  remote  islands  oft'  the  Coast  of 
Scotland  now-a-days  :  but  the  walls  and  roofs,  adorned  with 
ears  of  Indian  corn,  and  winter  provisions,  told  eloquently 
of  abundant  supplies,  such  as  the  poor  crofter  never  dreamt 
of.  And  though  Indian  corn  and  venison,  were  without 
doubt  the  Red  Indians'  principal  food,  some  among  them 
were  sufficiently  civilized  to  be  able  to  cook  and  enjoy  all 
the  varieties  of  fruits  and  vegetables  to  be  obtained  in  the 
States ;  and  peas,  beans,  cabbage,  asparagus,  melons,  peaches, 
even  roast  lamb,  were  to  be  found  on  the  tables  of  those 
chiefs  who  had  yielded  most  readily  to  the  influences  of 


30  THE    FEATHERSTONES   AND   HALLS. 

civilization.  But  though  ready  to  adopt  some  of  the 
comforts  and  conveniences  of  their  white  neighbours,  the 
Indians  coukl  not  easily  reconcile  themselves  to  the  re- 
straints of  civilized  life.  The  natural  wildness  of  these  sons- 
of  the  forest,  proved  to  be  difficult  to  subdue.  Friends- 
however  had  for  some  years  devoted  much  time  and  money, 
to  the  education  of  their  children,  and  provided  school- 
houses  and  teachers  for  many  of  their  settlements. 

Thus  they  received  from  the  white  man  some  of  the  bless- 
ings of  civilization,  but  they  received  also  its  gTeatest  curse ; 
and  the  craving  for  "whisko"  once  created,  soon  proved 
one  of  the  greatest  hindrances  to  the  social  uplifting  of  the 
poor  Indians.  Indeed  excessive  indulgence  in  spirituous 
liquors  was  not  confined  to  the  red  men;  amongst  the  white 
population  of  the  States,  it  was  becoming  a  cause  of  anxiety 
to  many.  John  Hall  in  1801,  did  not  hesitate  to  denounce 
it  in  strongest  terms.     He  writes  in  his  diary  : — 

"  On  Sixth-day  had  meeting  at  Coppermill,  in  a  school- 
house,  wherein  I  had  to  warn  tlie  people  against  the  abomin- 
able practice  of  prostituting  the  fruits  of  the  earth  to  the 
vilest  ends,  in  converting  them  into  strong  and  ardent  spirits,, 
and  that  drunkenness  was  one  of  the  crying  sins  in  this  land."' 

Still  the  evil  grew,  until  we  find  the  Friends  of  Phila- 
delphia discussing  it  in  their  Quarterly  fleeting.  The 
following  is  a  report  of  what  took  place,  by  one  who  was 
present,  and  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  earliest  records  of  tem- 
perance work  amongst  Friends  : — 

"  On  the  6th  of  the  8th  mo.,  I  attended  the  Quarterly 


AMERICA   NINETY    YEARS   AGO.  31 

Meeting  for  Philadelphia,  which,  though  one  of  the  largest 
in  America,  did  not  continue  more  than  one  hour  and  a 
half,  there  being  but  little  business  before  it  besides  an- 
swering the  queries.  As  this  was  likely  to  be  a  very  abun- 
dant fruit  year,  and  many  Friends  had  large  orchards,  some 
individuals  very  pressingly  cautioned  them  against  suffering 
their  cider  to  be  distilled.  The  concern  of  Friends  in  this 
country,  against  the  frequent  use  of  spirituous  liquors  in 
their  families  is  very  great,  and  probably  it  is  not  without  just 
cause.  The  trouble  attendant  on  brewing  and  preserving 
malt  liquor  in  warm  climates  is  great,  and  on  the  contrary, 
spirituous  liquors  are  preserved  with  so  little  difficulty,  in 
so  little  room,  and  at  so  easy  an  expense,  that  most  families, 
especially  in  the  country,  give  them  the  preference  as  a 
common  beverage  throughout  the  year,  when  diluted  w^ith 
water.  It  is  not  from  cider  alone  that  they  procure  spirits. 
Large  c^uan titles  are  also  distilled  from  the  juice  of  peaches. 
This  is  called  peach  brandy,  and  possesses  a  peculiar  flavour 
and  colour,  obtained  from  the  kernels.  The  general  price 
of  brandies  of  these  kinds  is  about  2s.  Gd.  to  3s.  6d.  sterling, 
per  gallon,  and  they  are,  when  kept  an  equal  age,  but  little 
inferior  to  French  brandy." 

In  1805,  perhaps  earlier,  the  Friends  in  Xew  York 
State  went  so  far  as  to  disown  all  their  members  who 
continued  to  deal  in  spirituous  liquors.  At  the  same  time, 
they  felt  no  scruples  about  taking  money  amassed  in  this 
way,  and  using  it  for  church  purposes ;  and  the  expense 
of  building   one   handsome   Meeting   House,   was   almost 


32  THE  TEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

entirely  defrayed  by  the  wives  of  two  Friends  who  had  been 
disowned  on  account  of  their  connection  with  the  spirit 
trade.  One  hardl}^  knows  whether  to  wonder  more  at  the 
inconsistency  of  Friends,  who  would  accept  the  help  offered, 
or  at  the  generous  and  kindly  feeling  the  two  thus  manifested 
towards  the  body  that  had  disunited  them.  The  Society 
of  Friends  at  that  time  must  have  been  an  increasingly 
numerous  and  influential  church.  In  some  towns,  a  large 
proportion  of  the  people  were  Friends  ;  in  one  of  the  three 
Districts,  into  which  Philadelphia  was  divided,  they  mini- 
bered  1,380  members  in  the  year  1800,  and  were  increasing 
rapidly.  In  1S06,  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  Philadelphia  was 
attended  by  nearly  4,000  Friends. 

To  English  Friends,  who  then  clung  so  tenaciously  to 
the  regulation  Quaker  dress,  the  appearance  of  Friends  as 
they  wended  their  way  to  the  country  Meeting  Houses  for 
worship  during  the  summer  months,  must  have  been  some- 
what startling.  Many  of  the  children,  though  in  other 
respects  well  dressed,  wore  neither  shoes  nor  stockings ; 
and  worthy  Friends  occupying  the  upper  seats,  appeared 
without  either  coats  or  stockings,  their  long  cotton  pan- 
taloons coming  down  over  their  shoe  tops.  The  excessive 
heat  of  the  American  summer  would  render  heavier  clothing 
almost  unendurable. 

The  attitude  of  Friends  with  regard  to  many  questions 
of  public  morality  was  enlightened  and  honourable.  Slavery 
and  the  slave-trade,  which  like  a  dark  cloud,  cast  a  gloom 
over  so  lar^e  an  extent  of  the  United  States,  was  denounced 


AMERICA   NINETY   YEARS  AGO.  33 

by  their  Yearly  Meeting  in  Philadelphia,  in  plainest  terms  ; 
and  Friends  were  encouraged  to  continue  their  endeavours 
for  its  abolition.  In  1774,  Friends  in  Pensylvania  had 
emancipated  all  their  slaves  ;  in  1787,  not  a  single  member 
of  the  Society  had  a  slave  in  his  possession,  and  there  can 
be  no  doubt  that  the  eradication  of  slavery  in  seven  of  the 
thirteen  original  States  of  the  American  Union  was  mainly 
due  to  the  influence  of  Friends.  An  Act  had  already  been 
passed,  by  which  the  importation  of  slaves  from  Africa  was 
forbidden,  but  this  put  no  restrictions  on  the  slave-trade  in 
the  Southern  States. 

The  sin  of  slavery  brought  its  own  curse ;  demoraliza- 
tion, disorder,  wretchedness,  poverty,  debauchery  marked 
the  districts  cultivated  by  slaves,  in  striking  contrast  to  the 
order,  contentment,  and  prosperity  of  the  Northern  States. 
A  very  complex  thing  society  in  America  must  have  been 
in  those  days.  The  resident  white  population  was  being 
continually  added  to  by  emigrants  from  all  parts  of  Europe, 
many  of  whom  were  thus  going  into  voluntary  exile  for 
conscience'  sake.  Then  there  were  the  free  negroes,  and 
the  Indian  element  who  had  to  be  trained  like  children 
to  an  understanding  of  the  rights  and  duties  of  citizenship  ; 
and  last  of  all,  there  was  the  gTeat  slave  population,  whose 
mere  presence  seemed  to  debase  and  degrade  the  white 
people  who  held  them  in  bondage.  It  was  to  minister,  as 
opportunity  offered,  to  the  spiritual  needs  of  these  varied 
conditions,  that  John  Hall  believed  himself  called,  and  like 
Abraham  he  went  out,  not  knowinsr  whither  he  went. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Fellow-Labourers. 

"What  is  devotedness  ?  It  is  not  a  giving  up,  but  a  full  and  com- 
plete receiving  in  the  best  possible  way  (i.e.,  in  God's  way)  of  the 
riches  of  His  bounty.  It  is  being  first  in  sympathy  with  God,  judging 
and  choosing,  rejoicing  with  Him  ;  and  then,  consequently,  resting 
satisfied  with  all  He  wills  us  to  be,  to  do,  to  receive,  to  give  up,  to 
suffer,  or  to  enjoy.  ♦  *  *  And  what  of  happiness  ?  Leave  that  with 
God ;  allow  Him  to  give  or  take  as  it  seems  good ;  let  happiness  be 
subordinate  to  peace,  and  never  seek  happiness  which  is  inconsistent 
with  peace  in  God." — Nokman  Macleod. 

OX  the  Uth  of  August,  1799,  John  Hall  set  sail  for 
New  York,  where  he  landed  after  "a  tedious  passage 
of  sixty  days."  It  was  usual  for  a  minister  thus  travelling 
in  the  service  of  the  Church  to  be  joined  by  a  companion 
in  whom  Friends  had  confidence.  There  was  living  in 
New  York  at  this  time  a  young  Frenchman  of  noble 
family — Etienne  de  Grellet  du  Mabellier — who  had  left 
his  native  land  during  the  French  Revolution,  and  after 
being  exposed  to  many  dangers  and  suffering  much  hard- 
ship, had  finally  reached  America  in  safety  along  with 
his  brother.  Through  no  human  agency  apparently,  but 
by  the  direct  visitation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  his  soul, 
he  became  a  converted  man.  The  writings  of  William 
Penn  fell  into  his  hands,  and  he  began  to  attend  the 
meetings  of  Friends.     In  1798  he  was  recorded  a  minister. 


FELLOW-LABOURERS.  35 

and  the  follo^Ying  year,  when  twenty-five  years  of  age, 
lie  first  met  John  Hall.  Though  strangers  to  each  other, 
the  face  of  the  young  man  was  not  unfamiliar  to  the  English 
minister,  for  whilst  crossing  the  stormy  Atlantic,  in  a  vision 
of  the  night,  the  Friend  who  was  to  be  his  companion  in 
his  missionary  journey  through  tlie  States  appeared  before 
him,  and  proved  to  be  Stephen  Grellet.  The  latter  thus 
describes  their  interview  : — 

"  Some  time  after  this  I  heard  that  my  dear  friend,  John 
Hall,  was  coming  from  England  on  a  religious  visit  to 
the  United  States,  and  the  impression  was  made  strongly 
upon  my  mind  that  I  must  stand  prepared  to  join  and 
accompany  liim  in  that  service.  I  cried  earnestly  to  the 
Lord  that  if  it  were  indeed  His  will  that  I  should  engage 
in  such  an  extensive  work,  He  would  condescend  to  give  me 
some  strong  evidence  of  it,  and  that  as  a  proof  of  it  He 
would  give  to  this  dear  friend  to  see  it  with  clearness.  He 
arrived  at  Xew  York  early  in  the  10th  month.  I  visited 
him  soon  afterwards,  when  he  took  me  aside  and  told  me  in 
a  solemn  manner,  that  I  was  the  identical  person  that  he  had 
seen  whilst  at  sea  prepared  of  the  Lord  to  be  his  companion 
in  the  service  of  the  Gospel  here.  He  further  feelingly  said, 
'I  leave  the  matter  entirely  to  the  Lord  and  to  thee.'  I 
felt  very  cautious  not  to  tell  him  how  it  had  been  with  me, 
though  I  marvelled  at  the  Lord's  condescension  in  giving 
me  such  an  evidence  of  His  will.  After  weighing  carefully 
the  subject  and  seeking  for  the  Lord's  direction,  I  concluded, 
that  to  have  a  better  opportunity  to  try  the  fleece  I  would 


36  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

accompany  him  as  far  as  Philadelphia  ;  when  finding  it  was 
a  service  reqnired  of  me,  I  came  back  to  Xew  York  and 
opened  my  concern  to  the  Monthly  Meeting,  which  gave  me 
a  certificate  of  unity  and  sympathy  under  this  my  extensive 
prospect  of  religious  service." 

So  they  went  forth  together,  the  experienced  Christian  and 
the  young  disciple,  to  encounter  many  dangers,  privations, 
and  difiiculties — to  pass  through  deep  spiritual  exercises — 
to  support  and  encourage  one  another  in  times  of  depression 
and  discouragement — and  to  rejoice  together  in  the  realiza- 
tion of  the  Divine  Presence  and  favour. 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  and  valuable  part  of  bio- 
graphy is  that  which  throws  light  upon  the  development  of 
a  soul,  and  its  preparation  for  future  service  ;  if  this  be 
so,  the  many  months  during  which  Stephen  Grellet  was 
brought  so  closely  under  the  influence  of  John  Hall's  life 
and  teaching,  must  have  constituted  a  most  important 
epoch  in  his  career. 

If  we  consider  for  how  short  a  period  he  had  been 
amongst  Friends,  and  then  look  forward  to  his  future  Hfe, 
and  the  prominent  position  he  afterwards  occupied  as  a 
minister,  we  shall  be  the  better  able  to  realize  how  wise  and 
helpful  John  Hall's  influence  must  have  been  towards  the 
shaping  of  that  future.  For  instance,  four  years  previously 
Stephen  Grellet  had  from  a  sense  of  religious  duty  given  up 
eating  any  articles  of  food  produced  by  slaves.  This  was 
probably  right  enough,  but  his  over-sensitive  conscience 
went  further,  and  he  ceased  taking  animal  food  in  any  form. 


FELLOW-LABOURERS.  37 

We  cannot  but  feel  that  this  scruple  arose  from  a  distorted 
view  of  duty,  and  that  thus  it  must  have  appeared  to  the 
riper  judgment  of  his  companion  ;  it  is  significant  that 
during  their  second  journey  together  Stephen  Grellet  felt 
himself  again  free  to  partake  of  animal  food. 

They  left  Xew  York  on  the  26th  of  October,  riding  or 
driving  from  place  to  place.  Travelling  southwards  they 
reached  Baltimore,  and  John  Hall  writes  in  his  diary  : — 
"  25th  (second  day  of  the  week).  We  laid  before  the  Elders 
here  that  we  felt  our  minds  engaged  under  a  proposal  to  visit 
families  of  Friends  here.  After  a  solid  consideration  there- 
on they  felt  unity  with  us  in  the  said  concern  ;  and  encour- 
aged therein  we  set  about  it,  and  were  favoured  to  perform 
it  to  our  own  peace  of  mind,  and  the  satisfaction  of  many 
visited.  We  attended  ^Monthly  Meeting  there  also,  which 
appointed  two  Friends  to  draw  up  a  certificate  setting  forth 
their  unity  with  our  labours  amongst  them.  We  also  found 
our  minds  engaged  to  visit  the  Women's  Monthly  Meeting  ; 
had  a  pretty  open  time  among  them.  We  visited  eighty- 
five  families,  and  left  Baltimore  in  peace." 

The  following  letter,  written  a  fortnight  later  to  his  wife, 
tells  how  he  had  fared.  The  Isaac  referred  to  in  this  letter 
was  the  second  surviving  son,  and  in  business  with  his  father 
as  a  weaver  of  linen  checks.  After  John  Hall's  return  home 
he  exported  somewhat  largely  to  America,  the  Grellets  acting 
as  agents.  Isaac  Hall  ultimately  left  England  and  settled 
in  Xew  York.  Alice  and  Hannah,  mentioned  towards  the 
end  of  the  letter,  were  the  two  eldest  daughters.     Alice 


38  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

was  tlien  the  wife  of  John  Allason,  and  Hannah  had  married 
Joseph  Pearson,  of  Ullock,  a  few  months  before  her  father 
left  home. 

"  Black  Creek,  in  Virginia,  near  Carolina, 

"1st  mo.  23rd,  1800. 
"  My  dear  Love, — I  received  thy  very  affectionate  letter, 
dated  1st  of  10th  mo.,  at  Richmond,  abont  ten  days  ago, 
which  gave  no  small  satisftiction  to  my  poor  exercised  mind. 
It  came  to  me  at  a  very  seasonable  time,  for  my  mind  has 
of  late  been  thoughtful  and  much  depressed  in  being  so 
far  separated  from  thee  and  my  dear  children,  who  I  may 
say  are  oftener  than  the  morning  light  brought  to  my  re- 
membrance with  desires  for  your  welfare  and  preservation 
every  way  ;  and  that  thou,  my  dearest  one,  may  be  kept 
and  preserved  in  the  patience  and  resignation  of  mind  now 
in  our  bodily  separation,  so  as  to  feel  the  supporting  arm  of 
Divine  goodness  and  mercy  to  be  near  thee,  and  keep  up 
thy  head  in  hope,  in  that  Divine  power  which  is  able  to 
Ijreserve  us  both  in  the  line  of  our  several  religious  duties, 
and  to  bring  us  together  again  in  His  own  due  and  appointed 
time,  to  our  mutual  comfort  and  rejoicing.  I  am  pleased 
to  hear  things  were  well  at  home  and  shall  be  glad  to  hear 
that  they  continue  so.  I  hear  of  many  failures  being  likely 
to  happen  among  trading  people  connected  with  Hamburg, 
which  makes  me  wish  Isaac  may  be  careful  respecting  those 
he  deals  with  at  Liverpool  and  Lancaster,  and  hope  he  will 
endeavour  always  to  have  a  good  stock  of  yarn  prepared 
beforehand,  to  keep  him  going. 


FELLOW-LABOURERS.  39 

''  I  do  not  know  whether  I  told  thee  in  any  of  my  letters 
of  the  violent  storm  we  had  in  the  Xortli  Channel.  After 
we  had  got  out  of  it  we  were  overtaken  with  violent  contrary 
winds  which  drove  us  back  again  into  the  Channel,  and  we 
had  much  ado  to  keep  the  vessel  from  rocks  called  '  The 
Maids,'  and  beat  about  in  the  Clyde  some  days.  I  was 
very  sick  and  ill,  which  brought  on  an  inflammation  in  my 
lungs,  but  after  we  got  out  to  sea  the  sickness  left  me,  and 
I  enjoyed  good  health  afterwards.  My  last  letter  to  thee 
was  from  Baltimore,  where  we  were  detained  near  three 
weeks  visiting  families  and  attending  meetings  as  they  came 
in  course.  AYe  left  it  in  peace  of  mind  after  much  trying 
and  searching  labour  which  was  performed  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  Friends,  who,  in  their  Monthly  Meeting,  appointed 
a  committee  to  prepare  certificates  for  us.  I  was  favoured 
with  good  health  after  Baltimore,  till  I  came  to  Alexandria : 
had  a  laborious  meeting  there  which  brought  on  my  old 
complaint.  Dr.  Stabler,  a  Friend  there,  gave  me  a  medi- 
cine which  in  a  few  hours  gave  me  relief,  for  which  I  was 
thankful,  and  I  have  had  his  medicine  put  up  and  take  it 
along  with  me. 

"  I  was  detained  at  Alexandria  near  a  week  ;  have  had 
uninterrupted  health  since  ;  have  a  warm  easy  carriage,  so 
that  I  suffer  little  by  fatigue  in  travelling.  But  often  in 
meetings,  the  report  of  a  Frenchman  and  an  Englishman 
travelling  together  excites  the  curiosity  of  the  people,  so 
that  they  flock  to  meetings  in  many  places  in  great  numbers, 
so  that  the  houses  will  not  hold  them.     It  is  often  trying  to 


40  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

my  mind  to  see  so  many  coming  with  a  curious  eye,  yet  I 
may  with  thankfuhiess  say  that  I  have  often  been  much 
enlarged  in  love  towards  them,  and  have  often  spent  my 
strength  among  them. 

''  Our  Society  in  these  parts  is  in  a  low  languid  state  ;  I 
think  Cumberland  poor,  but  I  fear  this  land  of  slaves  and 
slavery  is  much  more  so.  I  often  wonder  what  induces  so 
many  to  come  into  this  land  to  settle  ;  I  see  nothing  to  in- 
duce me.  The  poor  blacks  in  many  places  are  almost  naked 
and  starved ;  but  in  some  places  better  treated.  I  need 
not  tell  thee,  my  dear,  how  disgusting  it  has  felt  to  me  to 
sit  at  table  and  be  waited  upon  by  negro  girls  half  naked, 
and  yet  I  expect  I  shall,  as  soon  as  the  weather  gets  hot, 
see  more  strange  sights.  Lately,  the  weather  lias  been 
some  days  very  hot  and  next  day  hard  frost,  so  that  it  re- 
quires care  not  to  take  cold.    -^    -    * 

"  I  may  tell  thee  that  I  drink  plenty  of  cider,  and  eat 
plenty  of  fine  apples,  and  they  have  a  good  effect  upon  me. 
I  believe  my  constitution  has  had  a  change  for  the  better. 
*  *  *  I  wish  thee  to  ^Yrite  once  every  month,  to  come  by 
the  pacijuet  directed  for  me  to  the  care  of  Thomas  Harrison, 
Philadelphia ;  as  also  frecpiently  by  Liverpool.  *  *  *  When 
thou  writes  dear  mother,  give  my  love  t(j  her,  and  tell  her 
I  am  a  poor  pilgrim,  yet  at  times  I  feel  my  mind  set  at 
liberty  to  proclaim  the  glad  tidings  of  the  Gospel  among 
them,  and  to  declare  the  universality  of  God's  love  to  the 
children  of  men,  by  and  through  our  Lord  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ. 


FELLOW-LABOURERS.  41 

"  I  want  to  hear  how  dear  Hannah  anel  how  AHce  and 
dear  children  are.  My  dear  love  to  all  my  dear  friends  in 
our  parts,  as  if  named.  My  paper  is  small.  In  endeared 
affection  to  thee,  and  my  dear  children,  I  remain,  thy  af- 
fectionate husband,  John  Hall." 

On  they  journeyed,  holding  meetings  wherever  an  oppor- 
tunity presented,  and  everywhere  the  people  crowded  to 
hear  them,  both  whites  and  blacks,  for  they  were  in  the 
heart  of  the  slave  States.  Friends  were  thinly  scattered  in 
those  parts  ;  the  travelling  was  often  very  fatiguing,  and 
the  accommodation  provided  for  them  very  meagre.  Let- 
ters, too,  were  long  in  coming ;  for  nearly  six  months  John 
Hall  had  received  no  news  from  h(nne,  and  was  getting 
terribly  anxious.  They  were  in  X<irth  Carolina,  and  letters 
from  New  York  were  often  a  month  in  reaching  that  State, 
which  was  700  miles  distant.  The  follo^ving  extracts  from 
a  letter  home,  written  from  Xew  Garden,  towards  the  end 
of  March,  describe  some-  of  their  experiences  : — 

"  I  expect  to  go  into  South  Carolina  in  a  few  days'  time. 
The  warm  weather  is  now  set  in  ;  the  last  week  was  so  hot, 
that  I  have  not  found  it  much  hotter  in  my  own  land  in 
the  heat  of  summer.  I  have  now  to  put  on  my  light  dress, 
and  to  get  light  pantaloons,  instead  of  breeches  and  stock- 
ings. I  have  not  as  yet  had  occasion  to  drink  much  water, 
as  in  most  places  I  get  cider,  wliich  agrees  with  me  well, 
and  is  cooling.  I  suppose  I  shall  not  have  an  opportunity 
shortly  to  write  thee,  because  if  I  go  into  Georgia  and  into 


42  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

the  Tennessee,  over  the  high  mountains,  where  the  waters 
run  to  the  westward,  there  will  not  be  such  opportunities  by 
post,  but  I  shall  write  thee  as  often  as  I  can." 

Then  he  tells  of  a  narrow  escape  they  had  whilst 
crossing  a  river  after  dark,  which  proved  much  deeper 
than  they  had  expected.  Their  horses  had  no  sooner  en- 
tered the  river  than  they  were  carried  off  their  feet,  and 
had  to  swim  across,  drawing  the  waggon  and  its  occupants 
behind  them.  The  force  of  the  current  washed  away  the 
hind  wheels ;  the  fore  wheels  also  became  detached  from  the 
waggon,  but  were  providentially  held  in  their  place  by  a 
projecting  piece  of  wood  :  otherwise  the  body  of  the  waggon 
would  have  floated  away  down  the  river,  and  the  whole 
party  probably  been  drowned.  Happily,  they  got  to  the 
opposite  shore  in  safety,  reached  the  house  of  a  Friend  who 
lived  about  a  mile  from  the  bank,  and  the  following  daj^ 
repaired  their  waggon,  got  their  clothes  washed  and  dried, 
and  went  on  their  way  rejoicing. 

The  letter  continues  : — "  They  have  a  custom  among  the 
women  in  this  country  to  bring  their  little  children  upon 
the  breast  to  meetings.  In  many  meetings  there  will  be  a 
large  number  and  generally  noisy,  which  is  often  trying  to 
my  mind,  particularly  when  I  am  in  testimony.  Not  many 
days  since  in  a  meeting,  after  my  voice  was  pretty  much 
[used]  up,  they  all  began  to  sing  their  little  songs,  till  for 
a  while  their  voice  was  higher  than  mine  ;  but  being  a 
favoured  time  with  me  and  Life  in  Dominion,  I  was  not 
moved  by  their  little  notes,  who  in  a  little  space  were  hush 


FELLOW-LABOURERS.  43 

and  still,  and  I  enabled  to  get  through  to  my  own  satisfac- 
tion. I  have  often  to  sit  as  at  the  King's  gate,  and  though 
my  poverty  is  gi-eat,  yet  I  often  feel  gTeat  riches,  and 
sometimes  after  I  have  sat  near  two  hours  silent.  I  labour 
to  be  content  in  all  dispensations,  in  poverty  or  in  riches. 

"  My  mind  has  much  accompanied  you  at  your  Quarterly 
Meeting  yesterday  and  to-day,  and  shall  be  glad  to  hear 
thou  attended  it,  and  who  are  appointed  to  go  to  London 
this  year,  which  please  infonn  me.  Farewell,  my  dear  and 
well-beloved  one  :  I  often  feel  thy  spirit  uniting  with  me 
in  my  arduous  travail. — J.  H." 

The  expedition  over  the  Alleghany  Mountains  into  Ten- 
nessee proved  the  most  formidable  part  of  the  whole  journey. 
John  Hall's  diary  continues  : — 

"  On  Second-day,  the  20th,  we  set  forward  for  the  Ten- 
nessee, over  such  high  rocky  mountains  as  I  never  before 
travelled  over,  the  distance  two  hundred  miles.  Had  to 
lodge  at  nights  at  some  very  poor  houses,  and  on  Sixth-day 
night,  the  25th,  lodged  and  camped  in  the  woods,  sur- 
rounded with  wolves  and  bears.  Made  a  large  fire,  and 
made  chocolate,  and  eat  cold  ham  for  supper,  and  next 
morning  took  breakfast  and  proceeded  on  our  way,  arriving 
at  James  Wright's  on  First-day  evening,  with  gratitude  to 
the  great  Preserver  of  men,  in  that  we  witnessed  preserva- 
tion through  this  tedious  and  rugged  wilderness.  Many  of 
the  mountains  over  which  we  travelled  had  such  dreadful 
precipices,  that  had  our  carriage  overturned  it  might  have 
been  hurried  down  many  hundred  feet." 

D 


44  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

Stephen  Grellet  gives  a  still  more  detailed  and  highly- 
coloured  picture  of  their  experiences  on  that  journey,  and 
his  fare  must  have  been  very  poor  indeed,  for  he  could  not 
share  the  cold  ham  and  choc(^late  which  liis  friend  found  so 
enjoyable,  still  regarding  slave  produce  and  animal  food  as 
forbidden  him.     He  says  : — 

"  I  was,  however,  more  in  fear  of  ven(3nious  snakes  than 
of  wolves.  Rattlesnakes  and  copper-heads  were  numerous 
there,  as  in  most  of  those  new  countries.  They  would  even 
come  into  the  cabins,  through  the  openings  between  the 
logs  or  in  the  floors.  We  travelled  slowly  on  account  of 
the  difficulties  of  the  roads  :  sometimes  they  were  so  steep 
that  with  our  empty  carriage,  the  horses  could  get  only  a 
few  steps  forward  at  once.  Freiiuently,  indeed,  we  had  to 
open  a  road  by  cutting  down  the  trees  and  removing  them 
out  of  the  way.  But  notwithstanding  tlie  fatigue,  we  were 
favoured  with  good  health,  and  enjoyed  the  beauty  and 
grandeur  of  the  scenery  we  often  had  before  us  whilst  pass- 
ing through  some  of  those  dense  forests,  covered  with 
those  old  lofty  trees  which  appeared  like  the  cedars  which 
the  Lord  has  planted." 

All  the  Meetings  of  Friends  in  the  State  of  Tennessee 
were  visited  in  turn ;  the  minds  of  the  two  ministers  were 
often  deeply  exercised  at  the  lifelessness  which  prevailed, 
yet  they  at  times  found  reason  for  encouragement  and 
hopefulness. 

"  In  my  travels  through  the  Carolinas  and  Tennessee  I 
have  felt  and  seen  that  a  dead,  lifeless  ministry  prevails  in 


FELLOAV-LABOURERS.  45 

many  places,  and  yet  the  people  love  to  have  it  so.  *  *  -^ 
Proceeded  to  Chestnut  Creek  in  Virginia,  130  miles,  and  on 
First-day,  the  18th  of  the  month,  attended  meeting  there, 
which  was  large  and  in  a  good  degree  satisfactory.  Truth's 
testimony  was  exalted,  and  it  appeared  a  time  of  Divine 
visitation  to  many.  In  the  afternoon  had  a  satisfactory 
opportunity  at  David  Ballard's  among  a  few  hopeful  young 
people.  *  *  *  At  South  River  I  met  with  letters  from  my 
dear  wife,  R.  Jones,  and  Thomas  Harrison." 

The  letters  from  Broughton  give  us  a  glimpse  of  the  home 
life.  They  had  been  long  in  reaching  their  destination ; 
the  outside  of  the  sheet  (unprotected  by  any  envelope  as 
was  usual  in  those  days)  bears  three  different  addresses, 
and  the  cost  of  postage  amounted  altogether  to  at  least 
:-]s.  Cyid. 

"Broughton,  -tth  mo.   2(jth,  1800. 

"  Dear  Father, — I  take  this  opportunity  of  informing  thee 
that  we  are  all  well  at  present,  and  hoping  that  thou  art 
the  same.  Our  dear  friend,  Barbery  Drewery,  departed  this 
life  the  30th  of  3rd  month,  and  was  buried  on  the  2nd  of 
the  4tli  month.     From  thy  affectionate  son,  Wm.  Hall." 

''Dear  Father, — I  am  glad  that  I  have  heard  that  thou 
hast  recovered  from  thy  illness.  My  brother  and  sister  and 
I  go  to  school  yet — Isaac  is  not  willing  that  William  should 
be  a  weaver  until  he  be  a  better  scholar ;  he  has  got  into 
Exchange,  and  I  have  got  into  Division,  and  Ann  is 
writing  yet.     From  thy  affectionate  son,  Thomas  Hall." 

"  Dear  Father,— I  would  be  glad  to  hear  from  thee.     My 


46  THE    FEATHERSTONES   AND   HALLS. 

mother  and  I  would  be  glad  to  eat  some  of  the  fine  apples 
that  thou  speaks  of,  but  my  mother  says  they  will  be  too 
dear  before  we  can  get  them.  With  dear  love,  I  remain  thy 
affectionate  daughter,  Ann  Hall." 

"  My  dearest  Love, — Thy  affectionate  letter  from  Black 
Creek  I  received,  which  gave  me  no  small  satisfaction;  also 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  reading  one  to  John  Fletcher,  which 
came  pretty  soon  after.  *  *  *  It  affected  me  much  to  hear 
thou  had  been  so  ill,  so  far  from  me  ;  but  when  I  consider  the 
same  kind  providence  can  support  thee  there,  and  restore 
thee  to  health,  ])erhaps  as  soon  as  at  home,  it  helps  to  calm 
my  distressed  mind,  and  to  bear  up  my  head  in  hope  that 
He  will  bring  us  together  again  to  our  mutual  joy,  in  His 
own  time,  for  which  I  wish  in  patience  and  resignation  to 
wait.  *  *  *  I  may  tell  thee  with  thankfulness  of  heart,  we 
are  all  well,  and  things  go  on  pretty  well.  *  *  *  Things  are 
at  most  enormous  prices  here  ;  our  bread  will  cost  us  a  great 
deal  this  summer, — barleymeal,  ?)S.  lOd.  per  stone;  oatmeal, 
4s.  6d.  ;  flour  ')s.  :  and  very  bad  wlien  we  have  got  it.  But 
am  glad  we  have  plenty  of  good  potatoes,  which  we  get 
twice  almost  every  day,  which  helps  to  save  bread.  Many 
poor  creatures  can  get  very  little  bread,  there  never  wa& 
such  scarcity  in  our  time.  Here  is  a  fine  forward  springs 
which  gives  a  cheering  hope  for  more  plenty. 
.  "My  dear,  I  tliink  thou  will  scarcely  know  where  to  begin 
with  this ;  I  have  indulged  our  three  youngest  children  with 
room  to  let  thee  see  how  they  can  write.  I  refer  thee  to 
William's  account  of  the  time  of  the  departure  of  dear 


FELLOW-LABOURERS.  47 

Barbara.  She  left  the  world  without  sigh  or  gToaii,  and  I 
doubt  not  she  is  at  rest  with  the  righteous.  ^lary  Bragg 
and  I  attended  her  burial.  It  often  deeply  affects  my  mind 
at  such  times,  that  there  are  none  but  two  or  three  poor 
women  to  look  at  upon  the  gallery  ;  but  I  think  I  may  say 
we  were  favoured  with  the  gi*eat  and  good  blaster's  pres- 
ence, for  which  I  was  humbly  thankful.  We  had  a  solemn 
^'ood  meeting  :  ^lary  has  gTown  a  gTeat  preacher. 

''  Thou  desires  me  to  ™te  often,  and  so  I  do,  well  know- 
ing how  gratefully  pleasing  it  is  to  myself  to  read  a  line 
from  my  dearest  love,  and  believing  it  will  also  be  so  to 
thee,  to  see  my  poor  scribbles.  I  observe  what  thou  men- 
tions, respecting  so  many  flocking  to  meeting,  to  see  the 
Frenchman  and  Englishman.  Though  curiosity  be  the 
moving  cause,  we  do  not  know  what  good  may  be  produced 
from  their  being  so  gathered. 

"Take  care  of  thyself  my  dear  love,  after  being  much 
lieated  and  spent  in  meetings,  and  do  not  drink  too  much 
cider  when  thou  art  warm  ;  I  believe  it  is  not  good  for  thy 
complaint,  though  it  may  seem  pleasant.  *  *  *  Alice  and 
family  are  well,  she  has  as  lovely  a  babe  as  ever  thou  saw. 
*  *  *  Hannah  seems  satisfied  with  her  marriage.  I  must 
conclude  for  want  of  paper,  in  near  and  dear  love  and 
affection,  thine,  H.  H." 

"At  South  River,"  John  Hall  continues  in  his  diary, 
*'  was  a  very  large  meeting,  wherein  I  was  enabled  to  preach 
the  everlasting  Gospel  among  them,  to  my  own  peace  of 


48  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

mind,  and  admiration  of  the  love  and  mercy  of  the  Al- 
mighty, that  I  was  thus  raised  up  after  experiencing  so 
much  poverty  and  stripping,  as  I  have  of  late  done. 

''  At  Center,  was  a  time  of  renewed  visitation  unto  many 
backsliders  among  them,  as  well  as  to  many  young  people- 
there. 

"  At  AVestland,  attended  the  Monthly  Meeting,  which  was 
large :  my  mind  was  so  much  covered  with  darkness  that  I  was 
not  able  to  say  one  word  among  them  by  way  of  ministr)\ 

"  On  First-day  attended  meeting  there,  which  was  large  ; 
silence  still  my  portion  ;  my  companion  had  a  little  to  say, 
but  the  current  of  death  was  so  strong,  was  obliged  soon 
to  sit  down. 

"At  Switchly,  the  meeting  held  in  silence,  by  which 
many  were  disappointed,  but  there  appeared  no  room  to 
preach  the  Gospel  there. 

''  At  Southfort,  William  Readers  was  present  at  meeting, 
the  largest  that  ever  was  at  that  place  ;  a  good  favoured 
meeting  it  was. 

"  At  Goshen,  attended  the  boarding  school,  and  had  a 
solid  opportunity  in  the  evening  with  the  girls. 

"  On  Seventh-day  forenoon  was  with  the  children  in  the 
different  rooms.  In  this  school  there  are  about  two  hundred 
scholars,  boys  and  girls  ;  it  appears  to  be  conducted  with  a 
good  degTee  of  order  and  regiilarity.  Joseph  Sharpless  and 
wife  are  Superintendents. 

"A  favoured  meeting  at  Providence,  which  ended  in 
praises  to  the  Author  of  all  our  mercies. 


FELLOW-LABOURERS.  49 

"After  this,  proceeded  towards  Baltimore  to  John  Brown's. 
Came  this  far  under  a  prospect  of  attending  the  Yearly 
Meeting  there.  This  night  had  a  pretty  sharp  conflict  in 
my  mind  about  going  to  the  town,  as  the  yellow  fever  had 
raged  for  several  weeks,  and  had  swept  away  about  fifteen 
hundred  of  the  inliabitants.  The  town  was  not  clear  of  the 
distemper,  and  Seventh-day,  the  11th  of  this  month,  the 
Meeting  of  Ministers  began.  My  fears  respecting  myself 
were  so  great  that  I  declined  going  to  the  meeting.  My 
companion  attended  the  meeting,  which  was  small.  In  the 
afternoon  several  of  my  dear  friends  came  to  see  me,  and 
to  sympathise  with  me  in  my  tried  situation.  In  the  night, 
after  I  retired  to  bed,  I  found  a  perfect  calm  to  cover  my 
mind,  and  a  full  resignation  to  surrender  my  all  into  the 
protecting  care  of  Divine  Providence. 

"  On  First-day  morning  I  attended  the  meeting  at  Balti- 
more, which  was  a  time  of  great  solemnity,  and  under  a 
solemn  covering  I  had  to  stand  up  and  call  the  people  to 
mourning,  and  to  put  on  sackcloth  and  ashes  spirituall)^ 
instead  of  decking  themselves  in  fine  clothes.  ]\Iy  mind  felt 
much  rehef  in  my  public  labour.  The  afternoon  was  also  a 
solemn  time.  On  Second-day  the  Yearly  Meeting  opened, 
which  being  small,  many  proposed  an  adjournment  to  some 
future  time  when  the  town  might  be  relieved  from  this  awful 
calamity.  But  Friends  getting  under  a  close  labour  of  spirit 
to  feel  after  tlie  mind  of  Truth,  after  a  time  of  solid  waiting, 
way  opened  to  proceed  with  business  ;  and  through  the  con- 
descending of  Israel's  Shepherd  the  several  sittings  thereof 


50  THE    FEATHERSTONES   AXL»    HALLS. 

were  times  of  Divine  favour,  and  at  or  near  the  conclusion 
thereof,  dear  George  Churchman,  a  vahiable  Eider,  had  to 
say  that  the  shout  of  a  King  had  been  heard  among  them  ; 
and  under  an  awful  sense  that  the  Divine  Presence  was 
among  us  and  with  us,  the  meeting  concluded.  Friends  gave 
me  a  certificate  setting  forth  their  unity  with  my  labours 
within  the  compass  of  this  Yearly  Meeting.  I  lodged 
every  night  about  two  miles  out  of  town  at  John  Brown's." 

Before  long  they  reached  Philadelphia,  where  the  com- 
panionship of  thirteen  trying  months  Avas  to  be  sundered 
for  a  time,  and  the  two  friends  were  to  part.  John  Hall 
writes  : — 

"  Here  my  beloved  friend  Stephen  Grellet  left  me,  and  pro 
ceeded  home  to  Xew  York  ;  we  had  travelled  together  for 
the  space  of  one  year  in  much  brotherly  love  and  concord." 

Stephen  Grellet  refers  to  their  joint  service  in  the  follow- 
ing terms  :  — 

"  Here  feeling  my  mind  for  the  present  released  from 
further  religious  service,  I  took  an  affectionate  leave  of 
my  dear  friend  John  Hall,  and  returned  to  Xew  York  after 
an  absence  of  thirteen  months,  during  which  I  travelled 
about  five  thousand  miles.  We  were  very  nearly  united  in 
our  religious  exercises  and  services.  Our  travelling  together 
as  fellow-servants  of  the  Prince  of  Peace  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  people  in  many  places,  bringing  many  of  them 
to  our  meetings  to  see  the  Englishman  and  the  Frenchman 
united  in  promoting  the  cause  of  righteousness  and  truth 
in  the  earth,  whilst  their  respective  nations  were  waging 


FELLOW-LABUURERS.  51 

such  destructive  wars  against  each  othej\  We  heard  some 
of  them  feelingly  comment  on  the  peaceable  spirit  of  the 
Gospel." 

The  following  six  months  were  spent  by  John  Hall  in 
visiting  the  meetings  of  Friends  within  the  compass  of 
Philadelphia  Yearly  Meeting,  with  Philip  Price  as  his  com- 
panion. They  had  varied  experiences.  At  one  place  he 
.says  in  his  diary,  "the  threshing  weapon  fell  into  my 
hands  ;  "  whilst  at  another,  he  attended  the  meeting  three 
times  in  silence,  "  under  the  apprehension  that  the  people 
were  preached  many  of  them  to  death."  At  last,  attending 
that  meeting  for  the  fourth  time,  he  was  able  to  cast  the 
burden  off  his  mind. 

After  a  short  rest  at  the  house  of  liis  kind  Philadelphia 
Friends,  Thomas  and  Sarah  Harrison,  he  started  again  for 
the  Jerseys,  and  in  course  of  time  came  to  Rah  way. 

''Rode  to  Railway,  forty-two  miles.  At  the  Quarterly 
Meeting  of  Ministers  and  Elders  I  had  close  doctrine  to  de- 
liver. In  the  public  meeting  I  was  led  in  a  close  searching 
manner  respecting  the  fruitless  fig-tree,  and  the  situation 
that  awaits  the  hypocritical  Quaker  and  such  as  hold  the 
Truth  in  unrighteousness.  It  was  a  solemn  time.  This  even- 
ing came  my  beloved  companion  Stephen  Grellet  from  Xew 
York,  and  staid  all  night  with  me.  We  had  conversation 
respecting  our  prospect  of  being  united  again  this  spring 
and  summer,  towards  the  Eastern  and  Northern  States. 

"  Proceeded  to  Burlington  ;  attended  the  Quarterly  Meet- 
ing there,  which  was  large,  and  the  forepart  to  me  satisfac- 


52  THE    FEATHERSTONES   AND   HALLS. 

toiy.  It  was  supposed  there  were  1,000  Friends  there,  men 
and  women.  Had  a  meeting  at  Horsham.  Dear  James. 
Simpson  dined  witli  us  :  after  dinner  proceeded  on  our  way 
to  Abingdon.  I  proposed  to  James  Simpson  to  accompany 
us  so  far  as  David  Cummings  who  lay  sick,  and  near  his. 
close.  After  some  pleasant  tales  which  I  told  him — he  is 
often  subject  to  the  hyps  (hypochondria) — he  consented,  and 
got  into  the  waggon,  and  we  set  forward.  After  liaving  got 
about  half-a-mile  he  suddenly  cried  out  :  '  Stop,  I  can  go 
no  further  :  old  hyp  is  come  upon  me  ; '  and  went  on  to  say 
he  should  get  cold,  and  could  not  go  any  further.  I  imme- 
diately took  out  of  my  pocket  a  silk  handkerchief  and  told 
him  to  put  it  on  liini  :  it  was  my  wife's,  and  she  was  one  of 
the  better  sort  of  preachers,  and  told  him  it  might  have 
some  virtue  in  it.  I  told  liim  a  story  of  Christopher  Wilson 
of  our  county  who  sent  for  a  tailor  to  make  some  clothes, 
and  it  being  a  wet  morning  the  tailor  got  wet ;  so  Chris- 
topher put  his  coat  upon  him  till  his  own  was  dry.  A 
person  coming  in  said  to  the  tailor,  '  What  is  the  matter  ? 
thou  hast  got  on  Christopher's  coat ! '  He  made  answer  he 
did  not  know  :  for  he  was  veri/  like  to  preach  all  the  time  he 
had  it  on.  This  little  story  tickled  James  so  much  that  he 
got  to  laugh  pretty  much,  old  hyp  left  him,  and  he  cried 
out,  '  Hoist  the  British  flag,  and  drive  on  ! '  We  visited 
the  old  man  ;  he  died  a  few  days  after. 

"At  Frankfort  my  dear  friends,  Sarah  Harrison  and 
Hannah  Fisher  (daughter  of  Thomas  Fisher)  met  me, 
whose  company  was  very  acceptable  to  me.     After  dinner^ 


FELLOW-LABOURERS.  53 

proceeded  to  Philadelphia.  Here  ends  my  journey  to  the 
Meetings  within  the  compass  of  the  Yearly  Meetings  of 
Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Virginia,  North  and  South  Caro- 
lina, a  journey  of  six  thousand  miles." 

After  a  fortnight  spent  in  Philadelphia  attending  the 
Yearly  Meeting,  John  Hall  went  to  Xew  York,  where  he 
was  rejoined  by  his  old  and  well-tried  companion,  Stephen 
Grellet.  Their  intention  was  to  visit  together  the  Eastern 
and  parts  of  the  Xorthern  States. 

Day  by  day  they  diligently  pursued  their  labours,  rarely 
spending  two  nights  in  the  same  place,  and  holding  meetings 
every  five  or  ten  miles.  They  returned  to  Xew  York  to 
attend  the  Yearly  fleeting,  and  again  set  forth  by  water 
for  Xewport  in  Rhode  Island.  In  course  of  time  they 
reached  Portsmouth,  and  were  present  at  the  Yearly  Meet- 
ing there,  of  which  John  Hall  gives  the  following  account. 
The  kind,  practical  sympathy  which  the  fleeting  extended 
to  the  poor  in  England  must  have  been  very  pleasant  to 
witness,  and  warmed  his  heart  towards  Friends  in  Xew 
England  : — 

"  At  Portsmouth  attended  the  Yearly  ^Meeting  for  Xew 
England.  The  forepart  of  the  meeting  was  low  and  trying  ; 
the  latter  part  more  lively.  Dear  Elizabeth  Coggeshall 
gave  a  lively  and  affecting  account  of  her  visit  to  England, 
after  which  I  had  some  encouraging  remarks  to  make  to 
the  little  ones  present.  On  Second-day  the  Yearly  Meeting 
for  business  opened,  which  continued  by  adjournments  till 
Fourth-day  evening.     In  this  meeting  the  distressed  state 


54  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

of  many  of  the  poor  in  England  came  before  Friends, 
which  carried  so  much  sympathy  that  in  the  course  of  one 
day  there  was  2,370  dollars  subscribed,  and  recommenda- 
tions sent  to  the  several  Monthly  Meetings  to  make  sub- 
scriptions." The  total  amount  sent  by  American  Friends 
to  England  on  that  occasion  was  £5,691. 

"  Had  a  meeting  at  Tiverton,  large  and  satisfactory. 
Here  E.  Coggeshall  joined  us  on  her  way  to  Nantucket 
Island,  and  we  took  her  in  our  waggon  with  us." 

The  letter  that  follows,  from  Elizabeth  Coggeshall  to 
Hannah  Hall,  explains  how  it  happened  that  she  made  one 
of  the  party  travelling  in  Xantucket : — 

"  Newport,  tlie  19th  of  7th  mo.,  1801. 
"  I  received  my  beloved  friend,  Hannah  Hall's  affection- 
ate address  of  the  22nd  of  3rd  mo.  before  I  left  Liverpool, 
and  when  I  arrived  at  Xew  York,  the  11th  of  5th  month, 
thy  dear  husband  was  then  on  Long  Island.  So  I  gave  the 
two  letters  I  had  in  charge  for  him  to  a  Friend,  who  said 
he  would  forward  them  immediately,  and  when  thy  J.  H. 
came  to  see  me  in  Xew  York,  where  I  was  detained  by 
sickness  some  time,  he  informed  me  he  had  received  the 
letters.  After  Xew  York  Yearly  Meeting,  thy  husband, 
accompanied  by  Stephen  Grellet,  came  to  this  place  in 
order  to  attend  our  Yearly  ^Meeting.  I  was  favoured  to 
get  home  the  day  before  the  meeting  commenced,  and  was 
rejoiced  to  find  them  here  ;  and  may  say  in  truth,  their 
company  and  Gospel  labours  were  truly  satisfactory  and 


FELLOW-LABOURERS.  5^ 

edifying.  As  I  cannot,  I  expect,  write  to  thee  on  a  more 
interesting,  pleasing  subject  than  respecting  the  movements 
of  the  beloved  partner  of  thy  jo)'S  and  sorrows,  *  *  *  I 
proceed  to  give  thee  some  further  account  of  his  getting 
on,  especially  as  I  have  been  for  a  little  while  a  fellow- 
traveller  with  him  and  his  beloved  Stephen  ;  yea,  even 
upwards  of  three  weeks,  during  which  time  we  were  often 
in  spirit  unitedly  baptized  into  suffering,  on  account  of 
Truth's  being  held  captive  in  unrighteousness.  ^-  *  *  And 
yet  some  pleasant  moments  did  we  share  together  in  (I 
trust)  innocent  and  cheerful  converse,  and  none  more  pleas- 
ing I  believe  to  John  Hall  than  when  the  subject  turned 
to  Cumberland  and  its  inhabitants,  particularly  those  of 
Broughton.  *  *  *  His  anxious  solicitude  for  your  welfare 
every  way,  and  the  strong  desires  which  he  felt  to  be  per- 
mitted to  enjoy  your  society  once  again,  gained  my  most 
tender  feeling  sympathy  with  and  for  him  ;  and  under  its 
influence  was  led  to  crave  on  the  bended  knee  that  it  might 
be  so  ;  and  it  lias  been  given  me  to  believe  that  he  will  be 
again  restored  to  the  bosom  of  his  family  and  friends  in 
his  own  much-loved  country,  enjoying  the  rich  harvest  of 
sweet  peace,  the  greatest  of  all  blessings, — at  least  I  desire 
it  with  my  whole  heart. 

"But  to  return.  The  day  after  our  Yearly  Meeting- 
closed,  thy  J.  H.  and  S.  G.  made  me  a  visit  at  my  father's, 
*  *  *  with  a  Gospel  message  to  confirm  me  in  what  I  had 
before  thought  of  many  times,  that  I  must  shortly  again 
leave  my  home  :  and  had  a  prospect  to  attend  the  Quarterly 


56  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

Meeting  at  Xantucket  even  while  I  lay  on  a  sick  bed  in 
New  York.  Bnt  after  I  was  fav(3ured  to  get  home  once 
more,  I  seemed  loth  to  quit  it,  having  rather  a  desire  to 
settle  in  the  quiet ;  yet  was  a  little  halting  as  between  two 
opinions,  whether  to  go  or  stay.  *  *  ••  But  in  a  religious 
opportunity  which  these  two  dear  friends  had  at  my  father's, 
thy  J.  H.  addressed  me  first  with  the  language,  '  The 
Master  is  come  and  calleth  for  thee,'  saying  he  believed 
this  was  not  the  place  of  my  rest,  etc.  Then  Stephen  set 
his  seal  thereto,  and  their  labours  of  love  seemed  to  be  like 
clinching  the  nail,  and  also  to  prepare  the  way  in  the  minds 
of  my  dear  parents,  that  they  might  resign  me  up.  *  *  * 
But  previously  to  this  opportunity  they  had  pleasantly 
asked  me  to  go  with  them,  saying  they  could  well  accommo- 
date me  in  their  waggon  :  so  afterwards  I  ackn(^wledged  to 
them  ho^v  the  case  Avas,  and  as  pleasantly  said  to  them, 
'  Well  friends,  since  you  have  preached  me  from  my  home, 
I  believe  you  must  take  care  of  me,'  which  they  were  ready 
and  willing  to  do.  So  the  next  morning  I  set  out,  and 
accompanied  them.  *  *  *  The  loth  came  the  pinching 
time  of  parting  from  these  beloved  Friends,  with  whom 
I  had  been  in  near  unity  and  fellowship  of  the  Gospel. 
They  were  bound  that  day  to  Sandwich,  thirty  miles,  and 
I  had  about  the  same  distance  to  come  to  my  home,  which 
I  was  favoured  to  reach  that  evening,  and  found  my  little 
lamb  and  dear  parents  well.  Since  that  have  accounts  of 
my  dear  Caleb  Coggeshall's  arrival  in  London,  and  have 
reason  to  hope  he  is  now  on  his  passage  homeward.    *   *  * 


FELLOW-LABiJURERS.  57 

Please  give  my  endeared  love  to  thy  dear  children,  whom  I 
love  in  the  Truth,  *  *  *  arid  with  much  love  and  unfeigned 
regard  to  thee-ward,  I  conclude  and  remain,  thy  truly  affec- 
tionate friend,  Elizabeth  Coggeshall." 

They  finished  their  work  in  Nantucket,  and  proceeded  to 
the  State  of  Maine,  where  the  religious  life  seems  to  have 
been  very  low. 

At  Portland  they  had  meeting  in  silence,  where  John 
Hall  says  he  "  clearly  saw  there  was  death  in  the  pot."  He 
had  promised  to  dine  with  certain  Friends,  one  of  whom 
was  a  minister ;  but  he  was  so  exercised  in  spirit  on  their 
account,  that  no  sooner  had  they  reached  the  house  together 
than  he  took  his  host  and  hostess  aside,  and  expressed  to 
them  his  conviction  that  for  the  unsatisfactory  state  of  their 
Meeting  they  two  were  largely  responsible,  "  by  gathering 
in  their  own  wit  and  wisdom  sucli  things  as  were  the  cause 
of  it ;  "  it  is  not  surprising  that  he  adds,  "  ^[y  Tineasiness 
was  so  distressing,  that  I  could  not  eat  with  tliem,  and  so 
left  them." 

A  letter  home,  Avi-itten  from  "'  Portland,  stli  ukj.  7th, 
1801,"  sums  up  these  experiences  in  very  few^  words  : — 

"  My  labour  in  Xew  England  has  been  trying,  and  my 
Gospel  communications  close  and  searching." 

Other  extracts  from  this  letter  are  as  follows  : — 

"  I  hope  to  be  able  to  accomplish  my  visit  to  all  the 
Meetings,  or  most  of  them,  by  the  beginning  of  next  year, 
say  First  montli  next,  but  I  have  a  prospect  of  being  again 


58  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

at  Philadelphia  before  my  return  home.  I  shall  make  no 
longer  stay  in  this  land  than  I  can  help  ;  home  seems  near 
and  dear  to  me,  thou,  my  dearest,  art  near  and  dear  to  me, 
and  my  dear  and  beloved  children  are  also  near  and  dear  to 
me,  but  I  long  to  leave  this  land  with  a  peaceful  mind,  that 
so,  home  when  I  arrive  at  it  may  be  a  place  of  rest  to  the 
sole  of  my  foot. 

"  I  wrote  thee  the  account  of  the  sales  of  the  pieces  of 
cloth  sold  at  ?)S.  per  yard,  Xew  York  currency,  the  dollar 
there  being  <Ss.  The  same  patterns  that  Isaac  put  up  that 
were  small  will  fetch  os.  od.,  and  the  other  that  were  large 
will  only  give  'is.  Dd.  I  observe  what  thou  says  about  the 
expense  being  2()s.  :  I  suppose  the  duty  is  2^  %  and  the 
other  custom-house  fees  will  be  the  same  as  on  a  larger 
(quantity  or  bale.  You  may  make  your  calculations,  and 
see  whether  the  Xew  York  market  or  the  demand  you  have 
at  home  is  better,  and  govern  yourselves  accordingly ;  or 
whether  it  may  not  be  more  profitable  than  the  London 
market,  if  you  are  able  to  procure  good  flax  at  a  reasonable 
rate :  I  wish  Isaac  may  lay  in  as  much  as  will  give  employ- 
ment for  himself  and  four  apprentices.  As  to  plowing  the 
out-field  or  any  part  of  it,  I  would  rather  it  was  let  alone, 
because  where  will  the  manure  come  from  to  keep  it  pro- 
ductive ^  And  to  let  it  lay  down  poor,  it  will  afterwards 
produce  very  little  grass.  I  leave  to  thy  own  choice  the 
management  of  the  land  near  home.  If  you  have  little 
hay  you  must  let  the  mare  and  cattle  lay  out  most  of  win- 
ter, or  feed  principally  on  straw. 


FELLOW-LABOURERS.  59 

"  Thou  says  nothing  in  thy  last  about  Scotland,  in  which 
I  give  thee  my  encouraging  consent.  I  see  by  thine  that 
Mary  Bragg  is  gone  to  London,  I  would  not  have  her  crowd 
two  things  too  close  ;  I  am  glad  to  hear  she  improves  in 
her  gift.  *  *  *  My  love  to  John  Fletcher ;  tell  him  two 
weeks  ago  I  received  a  letter  from  him  dated  27th  of  7th 
month,  1800  ;  his  movements  are  often  slow,  and  his  letter 
moved  still  more  slowly.  I  am,  thy  affectionate  husband, 
John  Hall. 

"  Dear  Stephen  Grellet  is  still  affectionately  with  me,  and 
likely  to  continue  till  winter  :  he  has  his  dear  love  to  thee 
and  dear  children.  My  dear  love  to  all  my  dear  children. 
I  received  their  aftectionate  present,  as  also  the  mint-cake, 
and  received  the  other  things  safe.  *  *  *  E.  Coggeshall 
has  written  thee,  she  was  acceptably  with  us  a  few  weeks. 
Do  write  me  often.  I  hear  grain  is  much  fallen  in  price, 
and  a  prospect  of  a  plentiful  crop."   *  *  * 

The  great  kindness  and  open  hospitality  which  the 
travellers  enjoyed  is  often  referred  to  in  John  Hall's 
diary ;  the  one  solitary  instance  to  the  contrary  occurred 
at  Wynthorpe. 

"  After  dinner  proceeded  to  Wynthorpe.     Lodged  with 

,  who  with  his  wife  are  a  miserable  couple  !     Though 

rich  in  this  world,  our  diet  was  coarse  and  lodging  dirty  ;  a 
miserable  pair  they  are  indeed  !  On  Second-day  had  meet- 
ing there,  in  which  the  savour  of  Truth  seemed  entirely 
gone." 

E 


60  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

At  Newport,  whilst  lodging  at  the  house  of  David 
Williams,  John  Hall  was  seized  with  fall  fever,  which 
brought  him  very  low.  He  was  in  good  hands,  however, 
and  though  very  seriously  ill,  made  a  good  recovery. 

But  it  was  a  trying  time  for  the  poor  wife  across  the 
seas  in  England.  A  letter  conveying  the  intelligence  of  his 
illness  had  reached  her,  but  the  next  letter  was  delayed, 
and  she  feared  that  her  husband  was  dead,  and  that  his 
friend  did  not  know  how  to  break  the  news  to  her.  Before 
the  close  of  the  year,  however,  information  of  his  recovery 
reached  her,  and  she  writes  : — 

"Broughton,  y«  ]2th  mo.  20th,  1801. 

"  My  dear  Love, — I  received  thy  two  affectionate  letters 
a  few  days  ago  ;  one  from  Newport  and  the  other  from 
Nine  Partners,  the  latter  first,  which  gave  me  much  relief. 
*  *  *  Am  glad  thou  found  a  kind  friend  to  supply  my 
place.  If  thou  see  her  or  write  to  her,  give  my  kind  love 
to  her  though  unknomi,  and  tell  her  I  think  myself  much 
obliged  to  her  for  her  kindness  to  my  dearly  beloved  hus- 
band. I  am  now  beginning  to  count  the  months,  according 
to  my  own  calculation,  wherein  that  happy  day  may  be 
expected  that  we  may  be  favoured  to  meet  once  more.  But 
my  love,  I  do  not  wish  thee  to  return  before  the  right  time, 
or  to  attempt  a  winter  voyage. 

"  I  have  written  thee  more  letters  than  months  have 
passed  since  we  parted.  I  see  thou  has  received  that  by 
poor  David  Harris  ;  he^has  laid  down  his  bones  in  America 


FELLOW-LABOURERS.  61 

and  left  a  mournful  young  woman,  ^laiy  Harker  ;  they 
were  intended  to  many  soon  after  liis  return.  She,  it  is 
feared,  will  quite  ruin  her  health  :  she  seems  to  be  entirely 
given  up  to  fruitless  sorrow.  I  am  glad  Thomas  Walker 
has  received  his  checks  and  likes  them  ;  there  is  another 
bale  gone  for  him,  and  some  mouths  since  one  for  Stephen 
and  Joseph  Grellet,  which  I  hope  they  have  received  by 
this  time.  If  J.  King  sends  an  order  shall  execute  it,  but, 
my  love,  thou  hast  fixed  too  low  a  price  ;  thou  must  con- 
sider how  much  higher  yarn  is  than  when  thou  left  us. 
Isaac  has  charged  Thomas  Walker's  IGd.  :  if  he  should 
hear  thou  had  offered  them  at  lo^d.  to  John  King,  I  fear 
he  will  not  be  pleased.  The  London  market  is  worth  noth- 
ing, it  has  ruined  John  Raven  :  and  as  for  Lancaster,  there 
liave  been  so  many  failures  we  dare  not  send  much  there  ; 
our  chief  dependence  in  that  way  seems  to  be  from  America. 
Was  in  hopes  peace  would  have  made  more  alteration  in 
trade  than  yet  appears.  Flax  still  remains  high  ;  W.  Harris 
has  got  a  ton  which  cost  him  £100.  Isaac  has  not  bought 
any.  Several  have  had  fiax  gTowing  this  summer,  it  has 
proved  pretty  good. 

"  We  have  some  nice  wheat  upon  the  prepared  gTound  at 
the  out-field.  Shall  save  plenty  of  hung  beef,  but  it  is 
very  dear.  I  told  thee  in  my  last,  which  was  about  three 
weeks  since,  that  Isaac  was  paying  some  visits  to  Ginus  ;  I 
find  he  had  been  there  whilst  I  was  from  home,  and  has 
been  there  since.  I  had  rather  he  had  let  it  alone  till  he 
had  thy  consent,  but  he  seems  fixed ;  says  thou  can  have 


02  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

nothing  against  it.  She  seems  a  sober  youth,*  and  brought 
up  with  industry.  I  dare  not  say  mucli  against  it  lest  he 
should  do  worse  ;  I  believe  he  would  be  sorry  to  gi'ieve  us. 
I  hope  thou  wilt  find  our  children  all  agTeeable  ;  they  have 
been  very  orderly  in  their  conduct  since  thou  left  us,  and 
are  longing  much  to  see  thee  ;  little  Ann  says  she  thinks 
she  could  not  know  thee.  *  *  *  Our  girls  bid  me  tell  thee, 
if  convenient  for  thee,  to  get  a  piece  of  either  oak  or  wal- 
nut for  some  chairs  ;  ours  in  the  house  are  grown  very  bad. 
I  intend  to  write  Rebecca  Jones  along  with  this,  should 
have  done  it  before  now,  but  thought  I  had  nothing  to 
communicate  worth  postage.  *  *  *  Thy  children  all  unite 
with  me  in  dear  love  to  thee  and  thy  companion.  From 
thy  loving,  affectionate  wife,  Hannah  Hall." 

A  letter  from  Rebecca  Jones,  written  to  John  Hall  about 
this  time,  has  also  been  preserved.  The  beautiful  hand- 
writing is  that  of  a  vigorous,  energetic  woman  ctf  gTeat 
mental  power.  Her  home  was  in  Philadelphia,  wliere  the 
Meetings  at  that  time  were  distinguished  by  tlie  number  of 
Friends  of  high  character  and  great  spiritual  attainments 
who  attended  them  :  and  of  these  Rebecca  Jones  was  one 
of  the  most  influential.  "  '  There  sits  our  Queen  upon  her 
throne,'  Thomas  Scattergood  once  said  of  her,  playfully,  as 
he  entered  her  chamber  in  her  declining  years. " 


*  This  yomig  Friend  was  Abigail  Richardson.  She  was  married  to 
Isaac  Hall  in  ISOo :  and  became  a  minister  in  tb.e  Society  of  Friends, 
after  their  removal  to  America. 


FELLOW-LABOURERS.  63 

''Philadelphia,  10th  mo.  ^rJ,  ISOl.- 
"  My  dear  Friend  and  Brother,  John  Hall, — I  received 
thy  very  acceptable  letter,  dated  Newport  the  2Sth  ultimo. 
I  had  been  enquiring  in  mind  after  thee,  and  was  almost 
tempted  to  have  written  thee,  but  put  it  by  as  old  folks  are 
apt  to  do.  It  is  cause  of  thankfulness  that  thou  hast  got 
on  so  well  as  to  the  poor  tabernacle,  for  truly  I  was  never 
so  tried  with  the  heat  of  the  weather  as  I  have  been  the 
past  summer,  and  at  last  was  obliged  to  yield  to  infirmities 
so  far  as  to  keep  still  as  possible  in  my  own  little  confined 
habitation,  though  had  been  in  the  country  with  some  of 
my  friends.  But  finding  indisposition  increasing  on  me, 
came  home,  and  have,  amongst  other  complaints,  had  a 
smart  attack  of  an  erysipelas,  which  was  almost  general, 
and  from  which  am  not  yet  (_[uite  clear.  But  where  am  I 
leading  thee,  and  all  about  self!     So  enough  of  that. 

"  Well,  dear  friend,  'tis  still  greater  cause  for  thankful- 
ness to  find  that  thou  hast  been  borne  above  the  billows, 
and  that  the  hand  of  thy  Good  Master  is  with  thee,  and  I 
do  verily  [believe]  will  be  with  thee  in  all  thy  ascendings 
and  descendings  ;  yea,  even  when  (as  did  the  Apostle)  thou 
hast  'to  fight  as  with  beasts  at  Ephesus.'  Great  indeed  is 
the  mystery  of  iniquity  ;  time  is  disclosing  it  to  us  in  part, 
and  what  remains  farther  to  be  unfolded  the  Lord  only 
knoweth  !  *  *  *  I  drank  tea  with  dear  S.  Harrison  at  L. 
Snowdon's  last  Third-day  ;  she  looks  dull  and  languid,  but 
was,  with  her  T.  H.,  a  little  cheered  with  thy  letter  to  me. 
They  desired  their  love  to  thee,  and  my  handmaid,  Bernice 


64  THE    FEATHERSTO:^'ES   AND    HALLS. 

Chattin,  sends  hers.  I  partake  in  thy  comfort  in  hearing 
from  thy  dear  wife,  and  am  glad  she  is  strengthened  to  go 
abroad,  and  take  M.  Bragg  nnder  her  motherly  wing.  *  *  * 
By  divers  letters  received  in  this  city  since  the  Yearly 
Meeting  in  London,  it  appears  that  Friends  got  throngh 
the  trying  affair  in  a  way  that  mnst  exalt  Truth's  testi- 
mony over  the  heads  of  gainsayers,  may  the  Lord  have  the 
praise  !  I  understand  that  H.  B.  (Hannah  Barnard)  is 
coming  home,  where  I  wish  she  may  raise  no  further  dis- 
sension. Please  give  my  love  to  thy  companion,  and  accept 
a  share  thj'self,  from  thy  sister  in  Gospel  fellowship,  R. 
Jones." 

After  visiting  the  congregations  of  Friends  in  Connecticut 
the  two  ministers  returned  to  New  York  State.  John  Hall's 
diary  records  a  visit  to  Hannah  Barnard,  who,  during  a 
visit  to  England  as  a  minister,  had  adopted  very  unsound 
doctrines,  and  had  caused  considerable  trouble  and  anxiety 
to  English  Friends  : — 

"  Paid  Hannah  Barnard  a  visit ;  her  mind  seemed  to  me 
much  afloat.  It  livingly  opened  to  my  mind  that  though 
we  might  possess  the  wisdom  of  angels,  yet  if  we  have  not 
the  wisdom  of  Jesus  to  illuminate  our  mind  and  open  our 
understanding,  we  shall  still  remain  as  fools  with  regard  to 
that  Gospel  which  brings  life  and  immortality  to  light." 

Again  : — "  Proceeded  to  Hudson,  staid  over  First-day  and 
the  Monthly  Meeting,  wherein  H.  Barnard's  case  was  taken 
up,  and  a  committee  appointed  to  take  an  opportunity  with 


FELLOW-LABOURERS.  65 

her  respecting  the  unsoundness  of  several  of  her  rehgious 
tenets.  Poor  creature  !  she  seems  much  afloat  and  in  the 
instability,  as  if  she  had  nothing  substantial  to  lean  upon." 

At  Mamaroneck  he  lodged  with  James  Mott,  who  forty 
years  before  had  travelled  as  companion  with  .John  Hall's 
mother,  Alice  Hall,  during  her  visit  to  Xew  England.  At 
Xew  York  he  and  Stephen  Grellet  again  parted  company, 
and  John  Hall  proceeded  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  arrived 
about  the  opening  of  the  year  1802.  His  long  missionary 
journey  was  now  almost  concluded,  and  he  was  beg-inning 
to  make  arrangements  for  an  early  return  home. 

At  Burlington  he  met  "  Thomas  Scattergood,  who  told 
me  he  had  been  thinking  much  about  me  in  near  sympathy, 
and  said  he  had  sight  of  seeing  me  safe  at  home  in  much 
(juiet  and  peace  of  mind,  which  felt  ver}^  cordial  to  me. 
On  the  5th  of  2nd  mo.  attended  the  ^lorning  Meeting  (in 
Philadelphia),  where  I  mentioned  that  I  felt  my  mind  re- 
lieved from  any  further  labour  in  that  city.  After  a  solemn 
time,  several  spoke  their  minds  respecting  my  movements, 
felt  near  unity  and  sympathy  with  my  labours  among  them, 
and  three  females,  one  after  another,  were  concerned  in 
pra3'er  that  I  might  witness  preservation  over  the  great 
deep,  and  be  restored  to  my  near  connections  in  safety  and 
peace  of  mind." 

''Proceeded  to  Xew  York  ;  had  several  large  meetings. 
*  *  *  Finding  my  mind  now  fully  clear  of  America,  I  went 
on  board  the  ship  'Union.'  *  *  *  After  a  solemn  time  I 
took  leave  of  many  of  my  dear  friends  in  Gospel  love.     Got 


66  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

on  our  way.     Near  Sandy  Hook  the  wind  ahead  ;  came  to 
anchor  4th  mo.  20th." 


Here  the  diary  abruptly  ends.  John  Hall  devoted  it 
simply  to  the  record  of  his  religious  work,  reserving  other 
matter  for  his  private  letters.  Few  of  these  have  been  x^re- 
served,  but  we  know  that  though  the  homeward  voyage 
had  such  a  stormy  commencement,  Thomas  Scattergood's 
prophecy  was  fulfilled,  and  he  reached  home  in  safety.  In 
his  travels  through  the  United  States  he  had  covered  more 
than  8,600  miles. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Aftermath. 

"  When  the  sn miner  fields  are  mown, 
When  the  birds  are  tledged  and  tiown, 

And  the  dry  leaves  strew  the  path  ; 
With  the  falling  of  the  snow, 
With  the  cawing  of  the  crow, 
Once  again  the  fields  we  mow, 

And  gather  in  the  aftermath." 

H.  W.  Longfellow. 

JOHX  HALL'S  eujojanent  of  lively  social  intercourse, 
together  with  his  deep  religious  experience,  gained 
for  him  many  friends  during  his  visit  to  the  United  States, 
and  some  of  the  letters  he  received  after  his  service  among 
them  was  concluded,  and  subsequent  to  his  return  home, 
are  inserted  here  as  a  fitting  sequel  to  the  record  of  his 
work  and  labour  of  love  among  them.  Several  letters  from 
Stephen  Grellet  shall  take  precedence.  They  contain  many 
references  to  Rebecca  Collins,  to  whom  Stephen  Grellet  was 
becoming  attached.  They  were  married  early  in  1804, 
only  a  few  months  before  he  set  out  upon  his  visit  to 
Friends  in  Canada. 

The  first  letter  was  written  before  John  Hall  set  sail 
from  America,  and  gives  some  account  of  a  visit  R.  Jordan 
had  recently  paid  to  his  parents  in  France.  The  con- 
clusion is  characteristic  of  the  exceeding  humility  of  the 


68  THE    PEATHERSTOXES   AND   HALLS. 

man  : — "  Farewell  ;  in  haste  remain,  thy  poor  but  affec- 
tionate companion,  if  still  worthy  to  retain  that  name, 
S.  Grellet." 

The  other  letters  from  Stejihen  Grellet  are  as  follows  :— 

Hteplwi  Grellet  to  John  Hall. 

"  Xew  York,  8th  mo.  19th,  1802. 
"  I  have  with  satisfaction  to  acknowledge  the  reception 
of  my  dear  beloved  companion's  letter,  dated  Liverpool, 
6th  mo.  nth.  Thankful  I  am  that  thou  hast  been  favoured 
safely  to  land  to  thy  native  shore,  though,  I  observe,  not 
without  meeting  obstacles  on  the  watery  elements,  where 
yet  through  their  roarings  the  voice  of  the  Lord  was  felt 
stronger  than  all, — what  mercy,  my  beloved  friend  !  My 
soul  rejoices  with  thee  that  thou  hast  that  evidence  sealed 
on  thy  mind  of  having  left  us  in  the  right  time,  enjoj'ing 
now  a  peaceful  calmness  of  mind  which  I  did  not  doubt 
would  be  thy  portion.  The  account  thou  givest  of  the 
kindness  of  the  captain  and  good  order  he  kept  on  board 
is  peculiarly  pleasing.  May  the  Lord's  presence  now  com- 
fort thy  dear  Hannah  and  thyself ;  she  freely  gave  thee  up, 
thou  readily  parted  with  all  for  the  Gospel's  sake,  and  now 
you  are  brought  again  together.  Poor  me,  I  am  not  yet  to 
look  for  rest.  I  expect  [to]  set  off  next  week  to  proceed 
on  my  journey  through  the  Jerseys,  as  my  last  informed 
thee  of  Propose  to  attend  Burlington  Quarter  the  30th 
inst.,  where  no  doubt  many  will  enquire  after  thee  ;  glad  I 


THE   AFTERMATH.  69 

am  I  can  give  tliein  satisfactory  accounts.  Am  in  hopes  of 
meeting  there  with  my  dear  A.  Wilson,  expecting  he  will 
be  set  at  liberty  at  their  ensuing  Monthly  Meeting,  the 
24th  inst.  "Why  was  I  released  from  going  that  part  of 
the  journey  with  thee,  is  a  (|uery  sometimes  arising,  and 
have  I  now  to  go  i  Was  in  hopes  should  be  altogether  re- 
leased from  it.  Since  it  is  otherwise,  can  but  be  thankful 
my  gTacious  Master  is  thus  providing  for  me  a  suitable 
companion. 

"  Herewith  I  send  thee  a  certificate  of  Rhode  Island 
Yearly  Meeting,  forwarded  last  week  under  my  care  by 
William  Botch,  jun.,  who  desired  me  to  tender  thee  his 
most  affectionate  love,  also  his  wife's.  Charity  and  Thos. 
B.  desired  me  when  I  wrote  to  send  the  same.  Elizabeth 
Coggeshall  has  retired  at  Flushing  during  the  summer,  till 
her  husband's  return.  I  am  warranted  to  give  her  love 
to  thee,  as  she  often  speaks  of  thee  as  one  who  is  near 
to  her. 

"  Our  city  is  favoured  with  health  :  poor  Philadelphia 
has  been  lightly  visited  ;  about  one-half  of  its  inhabitants 
have  retired  to  the  country  :  the  disorder  has  for  the 
present  discontinued,  at  least  very  few  new  cases.  Xone 
of  our  acquaintance  that  I  know  of  have  fallen  victims  to 
it.  R.  Collins,  E.  Byrd,  and  H.  Eddy  desired  me  to  con- 
vey thee  their  affectionate  love.  E.  B.  continues  to  prove 
herself  faithful,  giving  acceptable  proof  of  her  ministry  ; 
the  others  do  not  yet  come  forth.  Jane  King  has  been 
very  ill  these  days  past :  she  is  better  now,  I  hope  out  of 


70  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

danger.  Pijor  thing,  she  has  mourned  over  her  unfaithful- 
ness ;  hope  this  close  baptism  will  have  the  intended  effect, 
and  she  shall  at  last  give  up  to  the  lieavenly  vision  if  ever 
required  again.  Her  close  proving  on  the  occasion  may  be 
of  use  to  some.  Do,  my  dear  companion,  let  me  often  hear 
from  thee  and  thy  worthy  wife  and  family,  feeling  myself 
nearly  united  to  all  that  is  thine. 

"Have  received  several  letters  from  my  dear  brother 
Joseph.  They  had  thirty-four  days'  passage  to  Dunkirk, 
where  the  captain  put  his  wife  at  his  father's  ;  left  her  next 
morning  for  Antwerp,  and  she  died  in  the  afternoon  :  she 
had  been  sick  during  about  twenty  days  on  the  passage. 
The  last  letter  from  my  brother  is  dated  Paris,  Gth  month 
19th ;  he  was  then  at  our  sister's,  proposed  soon  to  proceed 
for  Limoges  at  our  Other's  I  desire  tliee  to  write  to  him 
in  his  present  exposed  situation,  it  may  be  of  peculiar  ser- 
vice to  him.  *  ••  *  My  brother  Peter  is  yet  in  America  ; 
he  is  likely  to  be  married  with  one  of  our  (as  he  says) 
Quaker  girls,  a  niece  to  James  Pemberton.  She  has  been 
disowned  (?)  several  years  ago,  as  all  the  rest  of  the  family  ; 
it  may  be  a  step  to  bring  him  a  little  nearer  to  Friends. 
Farewell,  my  beloved  friend  ;  in  near  brotherly  affection, 
yea,  as  a  tender  father  I  salute  thee,  remaining  in  the 
bonds  of  the  Gospel,  thy  poor  S.  Grellet. 

"  The  season  for  the  sale  of  Isaac's  checks  is  very  dull, 
indeed  we  sell  none  ;  it  is  a  pity  these  last  were  sent, 
though  hope  the  Fall  may  be  more  lively.     Will  do  what 


THE   AFTERMATH.  71 

Stephen  frvellet  to  John  Hall. 

"  Xew  York,  li^li  mo.  Lstli,  1802. 

''Beloved  Companion, — Thy  letter  of  the  sth  month 
came  only  to  my  hands  a  fe\y  days  ago,  and  it  is  the  only 
one  I  have  had  from  thee  since  thou  hast  reached  thy  habi- 
tation. Am  thankful  to  the  Father  of  all  mercies,  that  He 
has  been  pleased  to  restore  thee  thy  usnal  health  after  a 
long  tedious  sickness,  which  must  have  proved  an  exer- 
cising time  to  til}'  dear  worthy  wife.  So  it  is,  in  every 
glory  there  is  a  defence,  that  no  flesh  should  be  exalted  : 
thou  hast,  after  thy  return  from  a  gTeat  solemn  embassy, 
to  sit  low  both  body  and  mind.  Ah,  my  dear,  this  situa- 
tion I  understand,  not  being  a  stranger  to  it,  neither  also 
to  the  shuttin,:;'  up  of  the  springs  of  the  Gospel  as  Avith 
seven  seals. 

"  My  lot  since  my  return  home  is  to  keep  silence  and 
bear  thee  company  at  the  Iving's  gate,  so  whether  present 
<3r  absent  we  have  still  to  travel  together  in  one  path. 
Since  nn'  return  home  from  my  last  journey  in  the  Jersey^ 
by  all  appearance  it  may  be  my  last,  for  a  great  while  at 
least ;  for  besides  the  feeling  of  my  mind  on  the  subject,  I 
am  likely  to  become  soon  involved  under  much  care.  My 
partner  proposes  to  embark  next  month  for  Ireland,  to  go 
and  see  his  parents  :  I  cannot  expect  him  back  till  next 
summer  at  the  shortest  :  my  brother  Joseph  not  like  to  re- 
turn soon,  if  at  all :  so  thou  seest  I  shall  have  my  hands 
full.     I  am  very  thankful  my  mind  is  at  present  relieved 


72  THE    FEATHERSTONES   AND    HALLS. 

from  religious  service,  and  that  I  have  been  made  willing 
to  give  up  to  follow  my  Master's  call  wliilst  way  was  open 
for  me  to  leave  home. 

"  Dear  E.  Coggeshall  is  bravely,  she  li(jlds  up  the  stan- 
dard amongst  us.  Elizabeth  Byrd  grows  in  her  gift ;  none 
other  can  come  forth  yet  among  us,  though  remaining 
under  great  struggles.  Should  think  it  might  be  of  ser- 
vice to  our  dear  Rebecca  Collins  wast  thou  to  ^viite  to  her ; 
she  continues  under  considerable  exercise.  She  expressed 
her  regard  and  affection  towards  thee  as  towards  a  father  ; 
this  appellation  many  of  us  can  give  thee,  though  thou 
stylest  thyself  a  poor  shrub.  I  shall  ever  count  it  a  favour 
that  my  lot  was  cast  to  be  in  thy  company  as  a  poor  inex- 
perienced child  ;  would  I  had  better  improved  that  favour. 
What  cause  for  thankfulness  at  thy  return  JKjme  to  find 
that  with  spiritual  blessings  thy  wife  and  children  have 
been  blessed,  in  the  increase  of  the  Gospel ! 

"We  have  not  sold  a  single  piece  of  thy  checks  since  my 
last,  though  have  offered  it  at  2s.  lOd.  ;  it  will  now  remain 
on  hand  till  spring ;  the  market  is  quite  overstocked  with 
that  article.  I  have  found  a  small  bill  for  £89,  which  I 
embrace  the  first  opportunity  to  forward  thee.  The  ex- 
change is  at  present  at  1 7  %  above  par  ;  after  these  vessels 
are  gone  it  is  thought  it  may  come  down  to  10  %  but  then 
it  is  uncertain  when  another  vessel  goes,  and  the  detention 
would  be  more  than  the  7  %.  I  write  in  great  hurry,  my 
time  being  short.  H.  Judge  and  family,  Thomas  Eddy 
and  his,  desire  their  love  to  thee.     Farewell,  with  near 


THE    AFTERMATH.  73 

affectionate  love  to  thy  dear  wife  and  tliine,  I  am,  thy  poor 
S.  Grellet. 

"  There  is  not  the  least  danger  that  we  apprehend.  T. 
King  wonld  be  glad  if  we  wonld  take  thy  checks  ;  he  will 
not  have  them,  he  says,  even  at  2s.  9d.  We  must  learn  to 
exercise  patience  in  temporal  as  in  spiritual ;  hope  thy  dear 
Isaac  will  he  favoured  with  it  in  his  trying  dispensation.  I 
feel  for  the  dear  young  man,  hope  it  niay  not  have  the 
least  tendency  to  unsettle  his  mind." 

Stephen  Grellet  to  John  Hall. 

"  Xew  York,  8th  mo.  15th,  1803. 

"  Beloved  Friend, — I  have  received  thy  letter  of  the  30th 
of  the  4th  mo.  last :  am  thankful  I  have  yet  a  small  place 
in  thy  remembrance.  Tliine  is  precious  to  me,  being  like 
Epictetus,  not  written  with  pen  and  ink.  Well,  my  dear, 
thou  hast  then  put  on  again  the  harness,  and  espoused  thy 
Maker's  cause  in  Scotland.  The  account  thou  gives  me  of 
that  journey  is  pleasing  ;  what  cause  of  tliankfulness,  in 
the  midst  of  mourning,  that  Truth  revives  in  places,  whilst 
in  others  it  is  trampled  upon  !  *   ^    - 

"  Our  city  is  again  visited  by  a  pestilential  fever.  The 
alarm  has  spread  wider  than  at  any  time  before ;  the  city 
is  left  almost  desolate,  though  the  disorder  has  not  yet 
proved  very  fatal,  but  it  is  progTessing.  From  fifteen  to 
sixteen  are  taken  with  it  daily,  and  only  three  (jr  four  die 
of  it  each  day  ;  but  no  doubt  as  the  number  of  sick  [cases] 
increases  the  deaths  will  also.     Xone  of  our  Friends  have 


74  THE    rEATHER.-^TO^'E.S   AND   HALLS. 

yet  fallen  a  sacrifice  to  it  :  it  is  truth  most  of  them  are 
gone  out,  so  our  meetings  are  very  small.  I  continue  in 
town,  but  am  desirous  so  to  abide  as  rightly  to  know  my 
true  place,  either  in  or  out.  I  have  not  heard  from  my 
parents  since  I  wrote  thee  last,  so  have  not  yet  taken  any 
further  steps  with  R.  C.  Did  she  know  that  I  am  writing 
thee  she  would  doubtless  desire  me  to  convey  some  token 
of  her  regard  lor  tliee,  which  I  know  is  great.  She  has 
gone  to  Xine  Partners,  joins  the  Visiting  Committee  to 
that  school.  •-  *  *  Have  lately  had  an  account  of  the 
failure  of  two  of  our  country  customers  who  had  a  few 
pieces  of  the  checks  ;  will  have  soon  the  matter  ascertained 
how  it  is  likely  to  be  with  them. 

"  Mother  Wilson  desired  me  to  let  thee  know  that  eTona- 
than  Evans  had  the  wood  ready  for  thee,  and  Avould  forward 
it  by  one  r»f  the  first  vessels.  They  desire  their  love  to 
thee.  Susanna  Judge  and  family  also.  *  *  *  Farewell, 
my  dear  triend  :  in  near  (lospel  fellowship  am  thy  )^oung 
unworthy  C(jmpanion.  ]\Iy  dear  love  to  thy  endeared 
Hannah  and  thy  family.     Thy  S.  Grellet." 

StepJien  Grellet  to  John  Hall. 

"  Xew  York,  12th  mo.  3rd,  1803. 
"  I  wrote  thee  a  tew  days  ago,  my  much  beloved  friend  : 
now  the  pacquet  is  going,  am  willing  to  improve  the  oppor- 
tunity. ^'  *  *■  I  wrote  thee  that  my  R.  C.  and  myself 
proposed  to  proceed  pretty  soon  in  making  our  proposal  of 
maiTiage  known  to  the  fleeting  ;  accordingly,  last  Fourth- 


THE    AFTERMATH.  75 

day  we  informed  the  Preparative  Meeting  thereof,  and  next 
F":)urth-day  intend  to  have  it  before  the  Monthly  Meeting. 
It  would  be  a  peculiar  satisfaction  if  thou  could  be  present 
as  a  tender  father,  but  it  cannot  be  ;  we  must  only  singly 
look  to  the  ever-present  and  never-failing  great  Parent. 
Thy  free  consent  and  desires  for  our  welfare  have  been 
tliankfully  received,  and  we  hope  that  we  [shall]  witness 
the  Lord's  blessings  to  follow  us. 

''  My  dear  R.  C.  desires  to  be  affectionately  remembered 
to  thee,  and  that  thou  mayest  remember  her  for  good. 
Dear  Elizabeth  Coggeshall  since  her  return  among  us  has 
been  very  ill,  for  several  days  in  great  danger  ;  she  is  now 
on  the  recovery,  but  not  able  yet  to  bear  her  friends'  com- 
pany. Several  of  our  young  women  continue  to  stand 
forth  for  the  Master's  cause  in  our  meetings,  together  with 
some  others,  so  that  we  have  few,  if  any,  silent  meetings. 
However,  I  burden  not  my  friends,  having  had  very  little  to 
do  in  public  among  them  for  many  months,  and  altogether 
shut  up  for  about  two  past.  Had  open  meetings  among 
other  people  in  and  about  the  town  ;  some  among  the  most 
abandoned  class  of  mankind,  of  the  female  especially,  when 
the  never-failing  Helper  of  Israel  was  graciously  near,  ten- 
dering and  breaking  to  pieces  several  of  those  haughty 
looks  [and]  hard  hearts  ;  but  whether  any  benefit  will  re- 
sult, I  leave  it.  Friends  are  generally  well  here,  so  far  as  I 
know.  My  partner  has  returned.  Farewell,  my  much- 
beloved  friend  ;  my  affectionate  love  to  thy  dear  wife  and 
family.    Think  of  poor  me,  thy  assured  friend,  S.  Grellet." 

F 


76  TiiK  feathersto:nes  and  halls. 

Stephen  and  Rebecca  Grellet  to  John  Hall. 

"  Xew  York,  7th  mo.  oth,  1804. 
"  Dear  Friend,-  -I  am  very  uneasy  not  hearing  from  thee, 
not  kno^ving  what  cause  to  attribute  thy  silence  to  ;  believ- 
ing thou  canst  not  have  forgotten  already  poor  me,  and 
that  this  long  silence  must  proceed  from  some  other  cause. 
I  have  not  much  to  tell  thee,  feeling  by  no  means  in  a  fit 
state  to  converse  tlius  even  with  thee  ;  but  thought  I  must 
give  thee  a  small  renewed  testimony  of  my  affectionate 
remembrance  and  sincere  regard,  before  I  left  my  home 
(which  probably  may  be  the  day  after  to-morrow)  to  go  to 
the  back  parts  of  this  State,  Vermont,  Genessee,  Lower  and 
Upper  Canada.  1  cannot  help  from  drawing  a  little  com- 
parison between  my  present  situation  and  that  I  was  in 
when  I  set  off  to  join  thee  on  a  similar  errand,  though  in 
other  parts.  I  had  one  outwardly  to  lean  upon,  to  care 
and  watch  over  me  and  help  me ;  I  left  none  behind  me, 
for  I  was  as  one  altogether  detached  from  any  ties  what- 
ever. But  now  it  is  not  so  ;  I  have  to  go  alone,  without 
purse,  scrip  [illegible],  and  leave  a  beloved  companion  be- 
hind. Yet  I  may  thankfully  say  my  way  is  made  much 
easier  than  I  could  have  looked  for  in  all  those  respects, 
and  hope  the  prayers  and  sympathy  of  my  friends  may  help 
to  keep  me  in  that  state  wherein  I  desire  to  be,  where 
preservation  is  known  :  and  I  have  for  a  companion  one 
who  does  all  that  she  can  to  make  way  for  me  and  en- 
courage me  in  my  religious  duties,  which  is  a  great  favour. 
I  hope  thou  mayest  be  willing  at  least  to  write  her  a  few 


THE    AFTERMATH.  77 

lines  ill  my  absence,  (jive  my  aftectionate  L^ve  to  thy 
dear  Hannah, — often  have  I  thought  of  you.  Probably 
you  have  heard  of  the  late  removal  of  our  dear  AVilliam 
Savery  from  works  to  rewards.  His  loss  is  sensibly  felt  by 
many  ;  may  it  incite  many  of  us  of  the  younger  class  to  be 
industrious,  so  as  to  fill  up  the  vacant  places  and  to  know 
the  spirit  of  Elijah  resting  upon  the  Elishas.  I  leave  to 
my  dear  R.  G.  to  make  a  small  addition,  and  express  her- 
self her  true  affection  for  thee.  I  am,  thy  \yiov  tried 
brother,  Stephen  Grellet." 

"  My  dear  Stephen's  request  to  make  a  small  addition  to 
his  letter,  and  the  unfeigned  affection  I  feel  for  my  beloved 
friend,  I  liope  will  be  a  sufficient  apology  for  taking  this 
liberty,  and  enquiring  after  thy  health,  which  we  have 
understood  lately  is  somewhat  impaired,  and  (3n  which 
account  we  feel  tenderly  solicitous.  I  accompanied  my  S. 
G.  on  the  7th  inst.  to  Purchase ;  attended  meeting  there 
the  next  day,  in  which,  I  trust,  he  had  renewedly  to  set  up 
his  Ebeuezer,  and  humbly  to  acknowledge  that  hitherto  he 
had  been  helped  ;  and  tlie  day  following  we  parted  at  the 
house  of  our  dear  friend  John  Griffin  and  his  wife,  in  a 
degTee  of  that  resignation  '  which  makes  hard  tilings  easy 
and  the  bitter  ones  sweet,'  but  which  I  find  since  my  return 
to  be  veiy  difficult  to  abide  in,  it  being  like  every  other 
comfort,  not  at  our  own  command,  but  bestowed  and  re- 
called at  the  pleasure  and  in  the  [illegible]  of  tlie  gi'eat 
Giver  thereof. 

"  He  informs  me  from  Hudson  that  our  beloveil  friend 


78  THE   FEATHERSTONES   AND   HALLS. 

Ann  Alexander  is  in  that  neighbourhood  ;  their  prospect 
seems  to  be  very  similar  for  some  weeks,  but  whether  they 
will  unite  was  not  concluded.  Our  friends,  Elizabeth 
Coggeshall  and  Byrd,  are  also  towards  those  parts — it 
seems  as  if  a  peculiar  invitation  were  extended  to  them. 
As  for  poor  me — I  feel  at  times  but  little  hope — of  ever 
getting  forward.  Some  of  us  remember  thee  and  thy  visit 
here  ;  may  it  not  be  to  our  own  confusion.  With  desires 
to  hear  from  thee  and  thy  dear  companion  in  your  freedom. 
I  remain,  thy  unworthy  friend,  li  Grellet." 

The  last  of  Stephen  Grellet's  letters  which  has  been 
preserved  is  dated  Gth  mo.  11th,  1807  ;  six  weeks  pre- 
viously John  Hall's  "  worthy  wife "  had  died.  Of  this 
no  information  had  yet  reached  the  Grellets,  though  they 
evidently  knew  of  her  failing  health. 

Stephen  Grellet  to  John  Hall. 

"  Xew  York,  Gth  mo.  11th,  1<S07. 

''  My  endeared  Friend, — ^I  have  no  prospect,  nor  indeed 
time,  at  present  to  write  much  to  thee,  but  I  have  a  great 
deal  on  my  heart  to  say.  Possibly  thou  hast  already  heard 
through  some  other  medium,  that  my  friends  at  our  last 
Yearly  Meeting  set  me  at  liberty  to  prosecute,  as  my 
gracious  Master  may  be  pleased  to  open  my  way,  the 
solemn  service  I  have  laid  upon  me  to  pay  a  religious  visit 
to  some  parts  of  Europe,  France  particularly. 

''  For  a  considerable  time  I  was  indulging  the  prospect 


THE    AFTERMATH.  79 

of  being  permitted  to  proceed  in  it  by  way  of  England, 
whereof  tlie  anticipation  of  seeing  thee  and  a  number  of 
my  most  tenderly  beloved  Friends — fathers  and  mothers — 
to  obtain  their  spiritual  help  and  prayers,  tended  a  little 
to  abate  the  trial,  that  I  have  no  need  to  tell  thee  what 
such  a  solemn  concern  has  brought  on  me.  Thou  hast 
passed  through  the  baptism,  hast  drunk  the  cup,  knows 
feelingly  what  it  is.  I  hoped  also  that  among  you  an 
helper  in  the  work  of  the  Gospel  might  be  found  to  yoke 
down  with  me.  But  my  dear  friend,  all  these  pleasant 
prospects  have  been  taken  away,  and  I  have  to  drink  of 
the  cup  to  the  full :  but  my  soul,  under  the  prospect  and 
feeling  of  it,  is  brought  under  a  solemn  cpiiet  and  resigna- 
tion. The  rpiery  now  revives,  '  Will  not  the  Judge  of  the 
whole  earth  do  right  ? '  Surely  He  will,  and  may  I  ever  be 
in  His  presence  as  one  of  the  deaf  and  blind  whom  He 
leads  about  and  instructs. 

"  For  some  time  past  a  dark  cloud  has  risen  on  England, 
and  a  little  light  centred  on  France ;  and  of  late  the  darkness 
about  proceeding  by  the  way  of  England  has  so  increased, 
that  I  should  not  dare  to  venture  in  it  for  any  considera- 
tion whatever ;  and  the  prospect  of  going  for  France  con- 
tinues to  be  pointed  to  by  that  Guide  I  desire  above  all 
things  to  follow.  The  south  of  France  especially  presents  as 
the  part  the  most  agreeable  to  land  at  first.  I  have  accord- 
ingly taken  my  passage  for  Marseilles,  which  is  but  a  short 
distance  from  Congenies,  etc.  The  ship  '  Brunswick '  is  the 
name  of  the  vessel ;  she  had  been  expected  to  sail  to-day. 


80  THE   FEATHERSTO^•E,S   AND   HALLS. 

iiOAv  they  say  to-morrow  (Sixth-day),  but  I  am  in  some 
hopes  she  will  not  go  till  First-day,  after  the  morning 
meeting,  though  I  feel  now  nearly  clear  of  this  country. 
It  is  peculiarly  pleasant  at  this  season  to  have  here  our 
dear  mother  in  the  Truth,  R.  Jones,  also  D.  Sands  ;  and  E. 
Coggeshall  returned  from  her  long  laborious  visit  to  the 
Southern  and  Western  Yearly  Meetings. 

"  My  dear  R.  G.  bears  the  prospect  of  the  awful  separa- 
tion with  much  resignation.  She  is  much  supported  every 
wa)^  for  which  my  poor  soul  is  in  a  peculiar  manner  very 
thankful,  and  acknowledges  the  circumstance  as  a  renewed 
confirmation  given  by  my  JMaster.  I  should  have  been 
glad  to  have  heard  how  you  are,  thy  last  having  left  me  in 
uneasiness  about  thy  very  dear  Hannah.  My  most  affec- 
tionate love  is  to  you  all ;  give  it  also,  if  way  opens,  to 
D.  D.  and  R.  Byrd.  In  haste  I  must  conclude,  thy  most 
affectionate  brother  in  the  bonds  of  the  Gospel,  ready  now 
in  feeling  manner  to  be  offered  up,  S.  Grellet." 

This  concludes  the  Grellet  letters  ;  the  next  is  one  of 
several  received  from  Mary  Xewbold,  jun.,  of  Burlington; 
it  enables  us  to  realize  what  a  warm  place  John  Hall  occu- 
pied in  the  hearts  of  many  American  Friends. 

Mary  Newbold,  jun.,  to  John  Hall. 

^'Burlington,  4th  mo.  3rd,  1803. 
"Often,  very  often  have  I  thought  of  writing  to  my 
beloved  friend  John  Hall  since  thy  absence  ;  the  distance. 


THE    AFTERMATH.  81 

and  not  knowing  of  an  opportunity  direct,  has  been  a  dis- 
couragement. But  now  those  things  are  not  lessened,  yet 
I  make  the  attempt.  It  would  be  grateful  to  hear  from 
thee,  much  so.  I  was  lately  at  the  city,  went  to  see 
Rebecca  Jones  ;  she  told  me  she  had  heard  from  thee, — we 
talked  about  thee.  Thy  Stephen  Grellet  was  round  the 
latter  part  of  last  summer  at  our  meetings,  I  believe  with 
much  acceptance  ;  though  from  what  I  could  gather  it  was 
often  in  silence,  a  track  thou  has  experience  in.  I  freshly 
remember  some  seasons  of  near  fellowship  with  thee,  some 
(if  them  in  which  my  mind  was  much  reduced  ;  thou  felt 
much  as  a  father.  Indeed  I  believe,  early  on  our  acquaint- 
ance, there  wanted  not  much  ceremony  of  language  to 
introduce  us  to  each  other. 

''"Well,  I  received  thy  last  communication  written  at 
Xew  York  previous  to  thy  embarkation,  whicli  was  sent  on 
by  Friends  coming  to  our  Yearly  Meeting,  thou  intending 
it  for  me  at  my  home,  from  which  I  set  out  one  week 
before  our  Yearly  Meeting,  and  thy  letter  was  put  in  my 
hands  after  I  had  attended  the  Yearly  Meeting  in  Virginia. 
*  *  *  "While  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Lynchburg  thy  name 
was  often  mentioned.  "We  were  kindly  and  comfortably 
housed  by  "William  and  Mary  Davis,  they  felt  very  near  to 
us.  I  know  thou  felt  much  interested  in  this  journey, 
makes  me  say  so  much.  "VYe  got  along  often  to  our  admira- 
tion ;  the  woman  Friend  who  accompanied  me  proved  suit- 
able, though  she  had  not  travelled  much  before.  One  man 
Friend  that  set  from  home  with  us  left  us  at  Richmond. 


82  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

After  we  had  been  at  all  the  Meetings  this  side  James 
River,  which  circumstance  was  rendered  easier  than  a 
stranger  can  suppose,  the  situation  of  the  poor  black  people 
depressed  him  greatly.  He  got  quite  poorly,  left  us,  and 
returned  home  in  the  stage.  At  first  we  were  affected  with 
it,  but  we  had  reason  to  think  a  sympathising  Friend  would 
join  us.  We  had  the  unspeakable  satisfaction  to  return 
home  with  a  comfortable  portion  of  serenity  ;  I  have  some- 
times looked  back  on  our  journey  with  pleasant  reflections. 
"Thy  beloved  Sarah  Cresson  keeps  house  with  her 
brothers  ;  we  have  been  very  little  together  since  thou 
made  part  of  the  company  ;  thou  knows  it  does  not  always 
suit  to  be  near  those  we  love.  *  *  *  We  have  G.  Dillwyn 
and  his  wife  again  settled  with  us  :  he  has  purchased  a  lot 
next  me  :  I  could  wish  there  was  a  dwelling-place  on  it. 
He  has  been  constantly  at  home  since  his  arrival  here — 
with  a  small  reserve— for  I  do  not  recollect  a  meeting-day 
(but  two)  his  seat  has  been  vacant,  and  one  of  them  he 
was  out  by  appointment  of  our  Meeting.  I  often  think  he 
preaches  loud  in  his  humble  retiring  as  he  does  ;  he  keeps 
house — only  one  female  domestic — with  his  partner.  I  love 
to  see  preachers  preach  /  *  *  *  ^Ye  have  Martha  Routh 
with  us.  I  should  flrst  have  mentioned  her  husband,  for  it 
is  not  long  since  I  had  a  lecture  from  Xathan  Wright  (and 
deservedly  so)  for  an  error  of  that  sort.  Martha  was  at 
our  Quarterly  Meeting  last  Fall,  I  thought  much  favoured, 
and  many  acknowledged  it.  Richard  Jordan  spent  much 
of  this  winter  in  Philadelphia.    *  *  *   He  passed  through 


THE   AFTERMATH.  83 

here  going  and  returning  from  York ;  spent  near  a  week 
^imong  us.  I  thought  his  company  very  sahitary  to  George 
[Dillwyn] ;  I  often  think  he  must  feel  a  great  change  after 
being  so  much  abroad,  to  settle  down  in  this  retired  spot. 
Poor  travellers  ought  to  love  and  feel  for  one  another.  *  *   - 

"  Well,  m}'  friend,  as  we  keep  our  places,  neither  time 
nor  distance  will  occasion  the  separation  of  near  union 
and  fellowship  that  I  trust  and  believe  has  been  witnessed. 
So  farewell,  dear  brother,  says  thy  affectionate  ^Iary 
Newbold,  jux. 

''  M)^  daughter  sends  her  love  to  thee  ;  will  thou  give 
mine  to  thy  wife,  though  unknown," 

Lydia  Hollinshead,  another  of  the  circle  of  appreciative 
Friends  at  Burlington,  writes  : — 

"Burhngton,  4th  mo.  6th,  1802. 
"  AYell-es teemed  Friend, — In  hearing  of  thy  being  likely 
in  a  short  time  to  embark  for  Europe,  I  felt  my  mind 
drawn  to  visit  thee  with  a  few  lines,  in  that  love  that 
neither  sea  nor  land  can  separate  or  diminish,  nay,  death 
itself.  It  lives  and  abides  for  ever  with  the  faithful  in 
Jesus  Christ ;  and  as  I  felt  myself  under  great  obligations 
to  the  Father  of  all  our  sure  mercies  on  behalf  of  His 
faithful  servants,  I  hope  thou  wilt  receive  it  in  the  sin- 
cerity of  the  pure  Truth.  I  have  cause  to  bless  and  praise 
the  name  of  Israel's  God,  who  has  wrought  wonders  in  the 
■deeps,  and  hath  been  mercifully  pleased   to  bring  out  of 


84  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

Egyptian  darkness  unto  His  marvellous  light,  and  hath 
also  sanctified  and  prepared  His  dedicated  servants,  and 
made  them  a  blessing  to  water  his  heritage  to  the  refresh- 
ing of  the  thirsty  soul.  May  we  ever  be  preserved  in  His 
holy  fear  and  love,  who  everlastingly  is  worthy  of  true 
obedience  ;  praise,  honour,  and  glory  is  His  due  from  all 
the  workmanship  of  His  holy  hands,  who  is  a  Wonderful 
Counsellor,  Everlasting  Father,  and  Prince  of  Peace.  If  I 
should  not  see  thee  more  in  this  world,  1  hope  we  may  be 
preserved  so  to  walk  as  to  have  the  smiles  of  our  dear 
lledeemer  that  hath  given  His  precious  life  a  ransom  for 
us,  and  in  measure  hath  given  us  to  partake  of  His 
sufferings ;  and  as  we  abide  faithful,  we  shall  also  be 
made  partakers  with  Him  in  that  glory  that  will  never 
liave  an  end. 

"  I  hope  the  good  Hand  that  brought  thee  forth  from 
thine  habitation  may  still  be  near  to  preserve  and  conduct 
thee  safe  in  thy  return  thither  ;  may  our  trust,  faith,  hope, 
and  confidence  ever  be  in  Him  who  alone  is  to  be  confided 
in.  We  cannot  be  anything  without  Him,  that  will  tend 
to  His  glory  or  the  edification  of  one  another.  AVhen  He 
opens  none  can  shut,  and  when  He  is  pleased  to  shut  none 
can  open  nor  unfold  of  the  mysteries  of  His  heavenly 
kingdom.  These  from  a  poor  pilgrim  that  desires  to  tread 
the  path  with  the  Lord's  messengers.  Am  thy  real  friend 
in  the  unchangeable  Truth,  Lydia  Hollixshead." 

Another  grateful  testimony  to  John  Hall's  zealous  labours 


THE   AFTERMATH.  85 

and  kind  sympathetic  spirit  is  contained  in  a  letter  from 
bis  cousiu  Mary  Williams.  Whilst  at  Xewport  he  had 
lodged  at  her  home,  and'  was  greatly  indebted  to  her  for 
her  kind  nursing  and  care  over  him  during  the  serious 
attack  of  fall  fever  which  prostrated  him  there. 

Marij  Williams  to  John  Hall. 

"  It  has  long  been  the  desire  of  my  heart  to  address  thee, 
my  beloved  friend,  sweetly  retaining  the  savour  of  thy  in- 
structing company,  and  the  remembrance  of  thee  is  gTate- 
ful  to  us.  *  *  *  Thou  had  my  sympathy  and  fervent 
solicitude  for  preserv^ation  in  thy  perilous  lonely  passage 
over  the  great  deep  ;  but  why  need  I  say  lonely,  when 
peradventure  thou  had  the  best  company  : — the  presence 
of  the  Master  more  than  compensates  for  the  deprivation 
of  His  servants,  and  I  have  no  doubt  but  the  rich  reward 
( >f  sweet  peace  was  thy  cheering  companion.  I  have  always 
viewed  it  as  an  awful  scene  to  be  tossing  to  and  fro  upon 
the  trackless  ocean,  and  could  never  conceive  how  the  mind 
of  man  could  be  at  rest  when  exposed  to  those  uncertain 
elements,  without  reposing  his  confidence  and  trust  in  Al- 
mighty power.  But  as  His  protection  was  thy  defence, 
well  might  thou  be  at  peace,  and  most  sincerely  do  we  con- 
gratulate thee  on  thy  safe  arrival  on  thy  native  shore.  ^  *  - 

''  Well  might  those  who  had  been  the  objects  of  thy 
tender  concern  and  arduous  labours  on  this  side  the  Atlan- 
tic, who  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  the  Gospel  call  through 
thy  mission,  feel  deeply  interested  in  thy  being  succoured 


86  THE    FEATHERSTONES   AND    HALLS. 

still  by  the  fostering  arm  of  Divine  Goodness.  *  ^-  *  It 
has  been  our  portion  to  drink  many  draughts  of  the  bitter 
cup  since  tliou  wast  resident  with  us.  *  *  *  I  delivered 
thy  affectionate  love  to  brother  John,  ti:»  whom  it  was  very 
grateful.  He  was  much  reached  by  thy  communications 
and  tender  concern  for  him.  Oh,  that  he  was  more  hum- 
bled beneath  the  forming  Hand  of  infinite  love  and  kind- 
ness ;  I  believe  he  might  become  an  useful  instrument 
therein.  He  feelingly  desired  his  love  to  thee  whenever 
I  wrote.  I  suppose  thou  has  fretpient  letters  from  our 
mutual  good  little  friend  Stephen  Grellet,  and  thereby  art 
informed  much  more  extensively  than  is  in  my  power,  of 
the  proceedings  of  thy  American  Friends.  E.  Coggeshall 
is  still  in  Xew  York,  *  *  *  her  husband  is  at  home,  and 
Friends  have  interested  themselves  in  settling  him  in  the 
ship-chandlering  business  in  that  city,  where  it  is  thought 
he  will  do  very  well.  *  *  * 

"  And  now  my  dear  friend,  having  written  as  much  per- 
haps as  thou  will  be  willing  to  read,  I  hasten  to  a  conclu- 
sion. Thy  precious  letter  was  a  feast  to  me,  every  line 
seemed  to  be  fraught  with  life  and  virtue,  which  was  truly 
refreshing  and  encouraging  to  my  weak  mind.  My  dear 
little  Mary  often  talks  very  affectionately  of  thee,  and 
desires  me  to  convey  her  love,  as  do  the  other  children. 
Please  to  present  mine  to  thy  worthy  wife  and  children,  to 
my  aunts  and  other  relations  ;  when  convenient,  a  little 
information  from  them  would  be  very  acceptable.  My 
husband  desires  thou  will  accept  the  affectionate  saluta- 


THE   AFTERMATH.  87 

tion  of  his  love,  with  that  of  thy  well-wishing  friend  and 
cousin,  Mary  Williams. 

"Newport,  30th  of  3rd  mo.,  1803." 

Hannah  Jackson  to  John  Hall 

"  Westbury,  Long  Islands, 

"y«  9th  of  ye  12th  mo.,  1803. 

"  Dear  Friend,  John  Hall, — I  received  thy  truly  accept- 
able letter,  bearing  date  14th  of  8th  mo.,  by  the  hand  of 
dear  Stephen  Grellet,  at  the  time  of  our  Quarterly  Meeting 
at  Flushing,  26th  of  y^  10th  mo.  He  looks  bravely,  and 
appears  more  fleshy  than  when  thou  was  here.  There  is 
not  the  least  occasion  for  thee  to  apologise  with  respect  of 
having  nothing  to  communicate  worth  the  expense  of  a 
letter ;  was  it  no  more  than  that  thou  had  seen  my  dear 
husband,  he  pretty  well,  and  to  hear  from  thee,  thy  wife, 
and  children,  I  would  gladly  pay  the  expense,  as  thou  was 
made  very  near  to  us — that  is,  me  and  my  husband — from 
our  first  seeing  thee,  and  still  remains  so. 

"Comfortable,  indeed,  is  the  account  thou  gives  of  my 
precious  husband,  that  he,  in  the  course  of  his  religious 
travel  on  that  side  the  water  had  been  at  tliy  house  and 
rested  a  little  there,  appeared  pretty  well  in  health,  and 
looks  as  if  he  served  a  good  Master.  A  treat  I  believe  it 
was  to  him  to  meet  with  a  brother,  a  fellow-labourer  in  the 
(xospel,  whose  face  he  had  seen  at  his  own  house  in  his 
native  land.  *  *  -  Thine  is  the  latest  account  of  or  from 
my  dear  husband,  which  is  near  four  months  ;  the  time 


88  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

seems  long  that  I  don't  hear  from  him,  not  doubting  but 
he  has  wrote  :  a  line  from  thee  or  any  other  Friend  will 
be  acceptable. 

''Thy  remarks  respecting  David  Sands  correspond  ex- 
actly with  my  thoughts  and  fears  on  his  account ;  there  is 
much  anxiety  and  enquiry  about  him  whether  we  hear 
from  him  and  if  coming  home  or  not.  Some  are  almost 
ready  to  give  him  over,  and  C(jnclude  he  never  will  come  ; 
[so]  that  we  should  be  truly  glad  to  hear  of  his  release  and 
setting  his  face  homeward.  His  poor  wife  I  feel  much  for  : 
hope  his  friends  there  will  tenderly  care  for  him.  *  *  * 
The  yellow  fever  was  prevalent  in  the  city  of  Xew  York 
last  summer,  of  which  mau}^  died,  though  not  altogether  so 
mortal  as  at  some  other  times  ;  but  few  Friends.  John 
Murray  and  many  other  Friends  removed  out  of  the  city 
upon  York  Island,  AVestchester,  and  many  other  places. 
«  *  v>  ^jy  [iged  father  has  been  very  ill  with  what  is  called 
St.  Anthony's  Fire,  an  iniiannnatory  disorder  ;  his  recovery 
for  a  time  doubtful,  but  now  much  recovered.  I  conclude, 
with  dear  love  to  thee,  thy  wife,  and  children.  —Hannah 
Jackson. 

"  Dear  John,  since  folding  of  thy  letter  have  heard  that 
Stephen  Grellet  has  passed  the  Monthly  Meeting  in  order 
for  marriage  with  Rebecca  Collins,  daughter  of  Isaac  Collins 
in  New  York.  I  have  also  just  received  a  letter  from  my 
dear  husband,  bearing  date  Kendal,  8th  of  10th  mo.,  by 
which  I  find  he  wrote  me  from  Glasgow,  which  is  not  yet 
come  to  hand.     From  thy  friend,  Hannah  Jackson." 


THE   AFTERMATH.  89 

The  last  letter  from  which  I  propose  to  make  extracts  is 
written  by  Sarah  Harrison,  John  Hall's  fellow-traveller  for 
eight  stormy  weeks  during  the  voyage  to  America  in  1799. 
A  very  warm  friendship  had  sprung  np  between  them,  and 
he  always  made  her  house  his  home  when  in  Philadelphia. 
Her  husband,  Thomas  Harrison,  was  an  active  supporter  of 
the  Anti-Shivery  movement,  and  was  always  ready  to  assist 
in  tlie  escape  of  runaway  slaves.  The  letter  reveals  to  us 
something  of  the  every-day  life  of  these  men  and  women 
of  high  spiritual  attainments.  How  vividly,  in  a  few 
words,  does  the  lady  minister  describe  herself  and  her 
friend  enjopng  a  tete-a-tete  at  her  own  fireside.  John 
Hall  was  a  wise  man  to  withhold  the  name  of  the  Friend 
of  whom  he  had  been  dreaming,  though  probably  he  did 
so  merely  to  tantalize  his  correspondent  by  rousing  her 
curiosity. 

tiarah  Harrlsoa  and  Ann  Mifflin  to  John  Hall. 

Philadelphia,  9th  mo.  3rd,  1806. 

"  My  dear  Friend, — Thy  acceptable  letter  dated  Man- 
chester was  put  into  my  hands  yesterday,  just  after  I  had 
gone  upstairs  with  a  full  determination  to  address  thee 
once  more  with  a  few  lines  ;  as  thou  hast  been  brought  so 
fresh  to  my  mind  for  some  time  past,  and  particularly  that 
day,  that  it  seemed  almost  as  if  thou  was  sitting  in  thy 
corner  smoking  thy  pipe,  and  I  in  mine  taking  snuff,  con- 


90  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

versing  pleasantly  as  we  used  to  do  :  and  at  that  instant 
who  should  come  up  but  my  husband  with  thy  letter  in  his 
hand,  'My  dear,'  said  he,  'here  is  a  letter  from  our  dear 
friend  John  Hall,  thou  may  well  now  write.  ! '  And  I  trust 
thou  will  believe  me  when  I  say  I  was  struck  with  astonish- 
ment at  the  power  of  sympathy,  how  it  reacheth  over  sea 
and  land  ;  and  I  am  renewedly  persuaded  that  every  mem- 
ber of  the  Mystical  Body,  if  tliey  keep  in  their  proper 
places,  are  as  epistles  written  in  one  another's  hearts,  so 
that  though  separated  in  body  they  are  yet  present  in 
spirit.  *  *  * 

"  On  reading  the  moving  account  of  the  indisposition  of 
several  branches  of  thy  family,  particularly  that  relating  to 
thy  very  valuable  wife — -the  joy  and  comfort  of  thy  life — 
my  mind  was  dipped  into  near  sympathy  with  thee,  believ- 
ing that  thy  loss  would  be  irreparable  indeed,  and  thou 
would  feel  thyself  like  a  dove  having  lost  its  mate.  Yet, 
nevertheless,  on  taking  a  retrospective  view  of  the  many 
years  that  you  have  been  permitted  to  live  together,  your 
love  and  affection  for  each  other  hath  been  preserved 
through  the  various  vicissitudes  of  time,  and  being  thus 
united  in  the  bonds  of  peace  you  have  been  enabled  har- 
moniously to  labour  together  for  the  honour  of  Truth.  *  *  * 
So  may  thou  and  thine  be  encouraged  to  cast  your  care 
upon  Him,  in  full  assurance  of  faith  that  He  will  sustain 
you.  I  would  willingly  give  thee  some  account  of  my  own 
situation,  if  I  knew  how  or  what  to  say  respecting  myself 
but  think  I  am  safe  in  saying  I  am  a  woman  of  sori'ow  and 


THE    AFTERMATH.  91 

acquainted  with  grief,  and  my  habitation  is  in  the  parched 
places  of  the  wilderness,  or  at  least  for  the  most  part. 
Once  in  a  while  I  think  I  feel  that  which  will  bear  me  out 
in  saying  that  '  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth,'  and 
because  He  Hveth  I  live  also.  *  *  *  R.  Jones  enjoys  pretty 
good  health  for  one  of  her  years  :  I  have  not  had  oppor- 
tunity yet  of  delivering  thy  message  of  love,  or  I  should 
have  something  in  return  for  thee. 

"  I  perceive  thou  art  of  the  tribe  of  Joseph  as  well  as 
myself ;  we  find  he  was  a  dreamer  and  so  art  thou,  and  so 
was  I  once  in  my  day,  though  it  is  not  so  much  the  case 
now.  I  should  like  to  know  on  whom  the  mark  was  set, 
for  I  am  afraid  thou  hast  neither  stumbled  in  judgment  nor 
eiTed  in  vision.  If  thou  felt  fi-eedom  to  say  whether  they 
were  male  or  female,  and  the  two  first  letters  of  the  name, 
it  would  be  relieving  to  my  mind.  Please  to  remember  my 
love  to  Jane  Pearson,  and  to  all  whom  thou  knows  I  love. 
My  very  dear  love  to  all  thy  family  as  if  named,  in  which 
my  husband  unites,  and  take  a  large  share  thyself.  In 
near  s)anpathy,  I  remain  thy  friend,  S.  Harrison.  " 

"  Our  dear  Sarah  allowing  me  the  perusal  of  thine  and 
this  reply,  I  have  asked  leave  to  return  the  ofter  of  love 
myself  ;  and  desire  permission  to  second  her  request  in  the 
application  to  know  the  initials  of  the  one  alluded  to,  for 
some  particular  reasons  ;  not  that  there  is  any  desire  to 
lay  too  much  stress  on  dreams,  though  sometimes  they  are 
permitted  I  believe  even  as  directors,  or  rather  confirming 
hints.    But  this  I  can  assure  thee  of,  that  Sarah  is  cautious 

G 


92  THE  FEATHERSTONES  AND  HALLS. 

about  letting  that  part  of  thy  letter  be  seen,  but  by  some 
individuals  of  what  is  termed  the  hoard  of  green  cloth, 
that  I  believe  thee  will  be  safe  in  further  confidence.  My 
dear  mother,  now  near  eighty-six,  strong  I  think  yet  in  her 
mental  faculties  and  measurably  so  in  her  bodily  powers, 
though  often  suffering  much  affliction  by  rheumatism, 
unites  with  me  in  love,  in  which  I  conclude,  thy  friend, 
Ann  Mifflin." 


CHAPTER  VII. 
Evening  Time. 

"  Glad  words,  '  There  shall  be  light  at  evening,' — 
Words  true  in  nature,  true  In  life  ; 
The  sunless  mist -shroud,  shadeless  shining 
Are  blent  at  evening,  gone  their  stiife. 

*  •»  *  * 

Then  in  the  hallowed  light  of  evening, 

Shall  we  behold  God's  perfect  love 
To  gleam  athwart  the  parting  shadows. 

And  upward  to  the  hills  above  ; 

Where  into  glory  shadeless  ever, 

Will  Jesus  blend  life's  joy  and  pain, 
And  by  the  brightness  of  His  presence. 

Will  give  '  clear  shining  after  rain.' " 

Mary  E.  Barlow. 

FOR  four  years  after  his  return  from  America  John  Hall 
enjoyed  the  peaceful  home  life,  and  the  companion- 
ship of  his  brave  s}Tnpathetic  wife.  Then  came  sickness, 
and  the  lives  of  Hannah  Hall  and  their  youngest  daughter 
hung  in  the  balance.  In  a  letter  to  his  niece,  Hannah 
Stead,  he  writes  : — 

"  The  complaint  was  a  slow  nervous  fever,  but,  through 
mercy,  they  both  recovered  that  complaint ;  but  since  that 
we  have  had  the  scarlet  fever  in  our  family ;  all  of  us  have 
had  it  except  myself.     It  first  seized  one  and  then  another. 


94  THE    ^EATHEK.STU^'ES    AND    HALLS. 

and  daughter  Ann  is  now  confined  to  bed  with  this  sore 
distemper,  which  has  held  hard  towards  her  especially,  and 
it  came  on  so  soon  after  she  had  recovered  from  her  former 
illness  ;  she  is  now  in  a  hopeful  way  of  recovery.  My  son 
Isaac's  little  daughter  died  in  it  a  few  weeks  ago  ;  she  was 
about  sixteen  months  old.  *  *  * 

"  I  note  what  thou  says  about  thy  prospect  of  giving 
away  thy  name  to  Caleb  Wilson,  and  being  joined  in 
marriage  with  him.  He  is  almost  an  entire  stranger  to 
me,  I  do  not  know  I  ever  saw  him  that  I  remember ;  but 
I  hope  thou  has  given  it  that  weight  and  consideration  in 
thy  own  mind  that  the  importance  of  the  subject  claims 
from  thee.  It  is  a  matter  of  the  greatest  moment  of  any- 
thing we  undertake,  and  when  proceeded  in  and  under  best 
wisdom  which  is  profitable  to  direct  and  join  in  one  hand 
and  mind,  I  can  tell  thee  that  such  a  marriage  state  is  the 
most  happy  one  in  this  state  of  time. 

''  I  take  thy  information  and  invitation  kind,  but  the 
distance  is  such  as  will  not  suit  me  at  this  time  ;  but  I 
sincerely  wish  thee  well,  not  only  in  thy  present,  but  every 
undertaking  in  life,  and  that  thou  may  witness  the  Divine 
arm  of  everlasting  mercy  and  strength  to  be  with  thee,  and 
bear  up  thy  head  under  every  trial  and  every  difficulty  that 
may  await  thee  ;  yea,  the  language  of  Boaz  formerly  to  his 
beloved  Ruth  comes  in  my  mind  to  salute  thee  with  :  '  The 
Lord  recompense  thy  work,  a  full  reward  be  given  thee 
from  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  under  whose  wings  thou  art 
come  to  trust '  (or  to  this  import).     This  is  my  prayer  for 


EVENING   TIME.  95 

tliee,  my  dear  niece,  for  whom  I  feel  much  love  and  affec- 
tion. My  dear  love  to  thy  sisters  and  brother  when  oppor- 
tunity offers,  and  tell  them  although  I  am  a  slow  writer 
they  are  still  under  my  thoughts  and  regards.  With  the 
salutation  of  dear  love,  in  which  my  wife  joins  me,  I  re- 
main, thy  affectionate  John  Hall. 

"  X.B.— Thy  cousins  Hall  have  their  best  love  to  thee. 
My  dear  love  to  thy  intended  husband. — J.  H." 

For  one  short  year  his  wife  was  restored  to  him,  and  then 
came  the  terrible  shock  of  her  death  in  the  spring  of  1!^07. 
The  end  came  very  suddenly,  "she  was  removed  by  a 
violent  disorder"  after  twenty-four  hours'  illness.  Her 
meek  and  quiet  spirit  had  attached  her  to  a  large  circle  of 
Friends,  and  her  services  as  a  minister,  to  which  she  was 
called  in  her  twenty-seventh  year,  were  acceptable  to  the 
Church  to  which  she  belonged. 

"  Slie  expressed  an  unshaken  assurance  that  a  place  of 
rest  would  be  her  allotment  when  the  pains  and  conflicts 
of  time  should  pass  away  ;  "  and  her  last  words  were  words 
of  prayer. 

Kind  letters  from  relatives  came  to  express  their  sym- 
pathy with  the  bereaved  one.  His  niece  Alice  Stead,  wlio 
was  then  employed  as  governess  to  the  children  of  Edward 
Pease  at  Darhngton,  ™tes  : — 

"  I  think  I  see  thee,  my  dear  uncle,  sometimes  sitting 
solitary,  reflecting  on  thy  lonely  condition  now  when  de- 
prived of  a  beloved  companion  ;  but  I  also  view  thee  as 


96  THE   FEATHERSTONES   AND    HALLS. 

one  that  can   obtain   consolation   from   the  best   source, 
whence  the  truest  comfort  springs." 

His  brotlier-in-law,  John  Wigham,  of  Edinburgh,  refers 
to  the  sad  event  in  the  following  letter  : — 

''Edinburgh,  5th  mo.  9th,  1807. 
"Dear  Brother, — By  thy  dear  William's  letter  to  my 
John,  I  have  received  information  of  the  sudden  removal  of 
my  dear  sister,  which  to  thee  no  doubt  is  a  sore  trial ;  my 
mind  is  dipped  into  an  inexpressible  sympathy  with  thee 
in  particular,  and  all  the  dear  children,  who  will  also  feel 
the  loss  of  so  endeared  a  parent.  *  *  *  Though  I  feel  as 
a  brother  who  dearly  loved  his  sister,  and  feel  much  sym- 
pathy with  thee,  yet  I  have  been  for  a  long  time  so  sensible 
how  desirable  a  thing  it  is  to  get  a  safe  landing  from  this 
sea  of  trouble  and  uncertainty,  that  I  cannot  mourn  for 
those  I  most  dearly  love  when  I  am  satisfied  that  is  the 
case.  My  wife  and  I  are  much  in  our  usual  way,  going 
fast  down  the  hill ;  my  wife  feels  much  for  thee.  *  *  * 
In  dear  love  and  much  sympathy,  in  which  my  Elizabeth 
unites,  to  thee  and  thine,  I  remain,  thy  affectionate  brother, 
John  Wigham." 

The  loneliness,  however,  was  not  to  last  very  long  :  it 
was  but  three  years  after  his  wife  was  taken  from  his  side, 
and  just  as  summer  was  beginning  to  deck  the  fields  and 
hedgerows  with  the  flowers  of  June — ^just  as  the  hay  on  his 
own  land  was  ripening  for  the  ingathering,  and  the  air  was 


EVENING   TIME.  97 

filled  with  the  songs  of  birds  and  the  brightness  of  the 
sunshine — John  Hall  passed  away  to  that  better  land,  that 
has  no  need  of  the  sun  nor  of  the  moon  to  shine  in  it, 
because  "the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof." 

A   letter   to   his   nephew,    ^vl■itten   by  his  friend   John 
Fletcher,  gives  some  details  of  his  last  illness  : — 

"  Greysouthen,  10th  of  6th  mo.,  1810. 
"Beloved  Friend,  Caleb  Wilson, — I  am  desired  by  thy 
relations  at  Little  Broughton  (I  suppose  thy  cousins),  the 
children  of  John  Hall,  to  inform  thee  of  the  great  and 
irreparable  loss  they  have  sustained  by  the  decease  of  their 
truly  valuable  and  worthy  parent ;  this  affecting  circum- 
stance took  place  on  the  2nd  inst.  Since  the  commence- 
ment of  the  present  year  he  has  been  in  a  very  poor  state 
of  health.  He  had  about  that  time  a  violent  bleeding  at 
the  nose,  by  which  he  was  considerably  weakened.  About 
two  months  ago  he  was  somewhat  better,  and  took  a  little 
exercise  on  horseback.  Dropsical  symptoms  about  this 
period  began  to  make  their  appearance,  and  notwithstand- 
ing the  best  medical  assistance  the  malady  awfully  ad- 
vanced, and  has  terminated  the  existence  of  a  truly 
honourable  and  useful  member  of  our  Religious  Society. 
Our  Monthly  and  Quarterly  Meeting  will  sensibly  feel  the 
loss.  The  conflict  he  had  to  undergo  in  his  descent  to  the 
grave  was,  I  believe,  a  very  trying  one.  His  mind  was, 
however,  mercifully  preserved  in  much  quietude  and  resig- 
nation.    He   felt   a  consoling   evidence   that   he  had  not 


98  THE    FEATHERSTONES   AND    HALLS. 

followed  cunningly  devised  fables,  but  the  pure  living  and 
substantial  light  of  the  Gospel.  This,  as  an  arm  under- 
neath, supported  in  the  needful  time,  and  enabled  him  to 
triumph  over  death  and  the  grave.  After  suffering  much 
bodily  affliction,  he  was  favoured  with  an  easy  translation 
from  Time  to  Eternity,  and  I  am  fully  persuaded  that  an 
entrance  has  been  mercifully  vouchsafed  into  the  joy  of  his 
Lord,  and  into  his  Master's  rest. 

"  His  children  were  all  about  him  ;  they  have  been  ex- 
ceeding dutiful  and  attentive  to  their  dear  father,  for  which 
they  will  doubtless  have  their  reward.  They  are  all  pretty 
well,  and  are  a  very  promising  family.  *  *  *  I  am,  thy 
affectionate  friend,  John  Fletcher." 

And  so  he  passed  away,  giving  expression  on  his  death- 
bed to  many  thoughts  which  showed  (as  one  of  his  American 
correspondents  expressed  it)  that  he  served  a  good  Master, 
and  that  he  was  not  forsaken  in  his  passage  through  the 
dark  valley.     At  one  time  of  great  suffering,  he  said  : — 

"  How  small  my  sufferings  are  compared  with  those  of 
our  dear  Lord  when  He  died  upon  the  cross  ;  if  these  afflic- 
tions are  designed  for  my  purification  and  preparation  for  a 
better  kingdom,  I  accept  them  with  thankfulness  at  Thy 
hand  0  Lord." 

And  again,  he  desired  those  about  him  to  take  notice 
that  he  died  in  the  Christian  faith,  and  said,  ''I  die  at 
peace  with  God  and  man."  He  evinced  much  love  and 
regard  for  his  children  and  friends,  praying  that  his  cliil- 


EVENING   TIME.  99 

dreii  might  be  blessed,  saying,  "  In  blessing  the  Lord  \vill 
bless  you  :  oh  that  my  children  may  be  doorkeepers  in  the 
Lord's  house,  and  that  they  may  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Thy 
kingdom  ! " 

To  one  of  his  daughters,  he  said,  "I  see  a  guarding 
angel,"  and  a  friend  coming  in,  he  added,  "  I  have  seen  the 
angel  of  the  Lord's  Presence,  who  is  come  to  guard  my 
soul  to  mansions  of  eternal  happiness,  and  glorious  was 
the  appearance." 

The  night  before  he  died,  when  asked  if  he  could  take 
anything,  he  answered,  ''  Nothing  at  all,  I  am  going  to 
heaven."  These  were  his  last  words  ;  the  following  day, 
having  served  his  generation  according  to  the  will  of  God, 
John  Hall  passed  away  without  sigh  or  struggle,  aged 
sixty-six  years. 


''ffll)etl)er  xue  liue,  rac  line  unto  i\}t  %oxh,  anti  xDl)etl)er 
roe  bie,  toe  Die  unto  tl)e  Xorti ;  rDl)etI)er  roe  line  tl)erefore  or 
t)ie,  roe  are  tl)e  Xorb'^.'' — |.iom.  .xib.  S. 


-Y. 


I 

Isabella, 


I  I  I 

William,  Alice,  William, 

(died  young.)       mar.  mar. 

J.  Allason.  •  S.  Brantingliam. 

A.ugusta  Orme. 


I  I 

Thomas,  Ann, 

mar.  mar. 

(1)  M.  Whinney.  J.  Satterthwaite. 

(2)  J.  Gumersall. 


GENEALOGICAL   TABLE    OF    THE    HALL    FAMILY. 


I 

John,  1744, 

mar. 

Hannah  Wigham. 


Richard  Hall,  died  1673.    Married  Jane ,  who  died  1692. 

II 
Thomas  Hall,  born  1647,  and  other  children. 

John  Hall,  born  1687,  and  other  children. 

II 
Isaac  Hall,  born  1720.    Married  Alice  Featherstone. 


Sarah,  1745, 

mar. 
Jno.  Stead. 


I 
Jonathan,  1747, 
(died  young). 


Hannah,  1748, 

mar. 

Jonathan  Seiigeant. 


I 
Isabella,  1757. 


I                      I  I                      I 

William,         Alice,  Hannah,          Isaac, 

(died  young.)       mar.  mar.  (died  young.) 

J.  Allason.  J.  Pearson. 


John, 


Isaac, 
mar.  mar. 

J.  Reeves.   A.  Richardson. 


Ill  I  I  I 

Rachel.      Sarah,  Jane,  William,  Thomas,  Ann, 

mar.  mar.  mar.  mar.  mar. 

T.Pearson.  J.Watson.   (1)  S.  Brantingham.   (1)M.  Whmney.  J.  Satterthwaite. 
(2)  Augusta  Orme.     (2)  J.  Gumersall. 


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